Path
by Tina-chan V
Summary: When tragedy strikes Hollypaw's already troublesome life, she decides that nothing will stop her from getting justice. But with an enemy on the rise and fate not playing fair, the young woman will be given the challenge of a lifetime. (Sequel to "Blurred") (CANCELLED)
1. Allegiances

**Greetings, my lovelies! This is the sequel to** _ **Blurred**_ **! If you notice any inconsistencies in the allegiances, please notify me so that I can fix the problem!**

 **This story involves nekos, not cats. Basically, nekos look like humans with cat ears, tails, etc.**

 **There are some changes in the Clans, so here are some explaining-things:**

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 **Head-Males** **–** The "leaders". These guys have the most authority and the first pick of sex-partners. Their word is law in the Clans. In order to become a head-male, you must either be chosen as a successor or beat the other candidates for the position in a fight. There are only up to five head-males at once.

 **Medicine Holders** **-** Healers. Medicine holders are sworn to abstinence, meaning that they can never know the pleasure that is sex. They're chosen at birth by the medicine holder before them. These people are the most decorative, since they might sport various accessories, jewelry, or body-paint.

 **Soldiers -** Adult men. They hunt for and protect the Clan. Every-now-and-then, they will kidnap kittypets/rogues/loners in order to bring new blood into the Clan.

 **Lovers** – Adult women. While they can hunt and fight to an extent, they stick to more domestic duties. Despite this, they are to be treated with just as much respect as anyone else. Unfortunately, that rule isn't always followed.

 **Apprentices** – Boys and girls from ages 10-16. Boys will be trained by a mentor to become soldiers, whereas girls are taught by all the women to be lovers.

 **Kit-Bearers** – Mothers of children under 10 years of age. Fortunately for them, once their kits are able to walk on their own, they can leave the nursery for short periods of time, allowing their kits to be baby-sat by other kit-bearers in their absence.

 **Elders** – Retired soldiers and lovers. Usually, a person will become an elder around the ages of 50-60. Head-males may delay this, since some will retire as old as 80. They are the most respected rank, just behind head-males.

 **Toys** – Sex-slaves. This rank is usually made up of traitors or captured enemies. Occasionally, soldiers or lovers that have broken the code, or something similar, are punished by becoming toys for a set amount of time. There is a certain amount of times that a toy must have sex before they can be freed.

 **There are two Clans: HeartClan and LoveClan.**

 **HeartClan** – Situated in what was once ThunderClan and WindClan territory. They're your basic Clan, but they are much more respectful and honest than LoveClan. Still, there are some people in this Clan that are less than good-hearted. Rape is a crime in this Clan.

 **LoveClan** – Located in what was once ShadowClan and RiverClan territory. Their camp is where ShadowClan's was. This Clan is not hesitant to commit terrible acts in order to secure their own future. Females are not as valued here, and are sometimes treated horribly. Rape is no longer ignored in this Clan.

* * *

 **LOVECLAN:**

 **Head-Males:**

Scorchfire – 6'4". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, unkempt dark-brown (almost black) hair and red eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 47 yrso. Nicked, black ears and (half) tail.

Blackheart – 5'11". Pale-skinned man w/ black hair and ice-blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 42 yrso. Dark circles around eyes. White, black-tipped, ears and tail.

Raccoonclaw – 6'4". Tan-skinned man w/ short, brownish-gray hair and amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 39 yrso. Black ears and a fluffy, black-tipped, brownish-gray tail.

 **Medicine Holder:** Brightsky – 5'11". Olive-skinned man w/ short, white hair and brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 35 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Frostpaw

 **Soldiers:**

Hawkglare – 6'1". Tan-skinned man w/ semi-long, pale-brown hair and ice-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 47 yrso. Pale-brown ears and tail with darker tips.

Boulderstrike – 5'11". Tan-skinned man w/ dark-gray hair and pale-gray eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 42 yrso. Pale-gray ears and tail.

Pinestorm – 6'0". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, brown hair and blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 39 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Mudpaw

Wolfthorn – 6'1". Creamy-skinned man w/ semi-long, messy, dark ash-brown hair and sharp, green eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 39 yrso. Slightly wolf-like, dark ash-brown ears and a long, fluffy ash-brown tail.

Ratfang – 5'11". Tan-skinned man w/ long, black hair (in ponytail) with wild bangs and amber-red eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 38 yrso. Skinny, black ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Crowpaw

Brackenfur – 6'1". Olive-skinned man w/ dark-brown hair and green eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 38 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail.

Thornslash – 6'2". Pale-skinned man w/ short, black hair and pale, orange-amber eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 38 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Wasptail – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ black hair and violet eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 38 yrso. Gray tabby ears and tail.

Cobrastrike – 6'8". Olive-skinned man w/ curly, dark-brown hair and green eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 37 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Sandpaw

Sunpelt – 6'0". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, blonde hair and pale-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 28 yrso. Golden tabby ears and tail.

Volefoot – 5'9". Tan-skinned man w/ semi-long, slightly-ruffled brown hair and light-violet eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 26 yrso. Brownish-gray ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Patchpaw

Ripplespot – 6'0". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, black hair and blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 18 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Flamewhisker – 6'2". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, chestnut-red hair and light-brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 18 yrso. Ginger tabby ears and tail.

 **Lovers:**

Sagefeather – 5'10". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, unkempt, pale grayish-brown hair (in a right-side ponytail) with uneven bangs and sleepy, violet eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. D-cup. 42 yrso. Gray ears and tail.

Vixenskip – 6'0". Pale-skinned woman w/ short, straight auburn hair and dark-brown eyes. Small-shouldered and well-muscled. C-cup. 41 yrso. Large, ginger-and-black ears and a white-tipped, ginger tail.

Brindlefrost – 5'9". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, ash-brown hair (partially in two pigtails) and sharp, blue eyes. Noticeable fangs. B-cup. 39 yrso. Slightly wolf-like, ash-brown ears and a long, fluffy ash-brown tail.

Sweetheart – 5'6". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, dark-gray hair and light-brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 36 yrso. Gray tabby ears and tail. Formerly of HeartClan.

Robinfeather – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ red hair and green eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. DD-cup. 34 yrso. Reddish-brown ears and tail.

Raindrop – 5'6". Tan-skinned woman w/ semi-long, silvery-gray hair and blind, blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. C-cup. 34 yrso. Pale-gray ears and tail.

Marigoldblossom – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, flowing, silver hair and violet eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 34 yrso. White, silver-flecked, ears and tail.

Silverdapple – 5'10". Tan-skinned girl w/ black hair and amber eyes . Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. A-cup. 32 yrso. Silver ears and a bushy, silver tail.

Lavenderbreeze – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, wavy, black hair and silvery-lavender eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 31 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Darkcloud – 5'8". Creamy-skinned woman w/ short, black hair and dark-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. A-cup. 31 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Streamlight – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, black hair (in a ponytail) and lavender eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. A-cup. 28 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Fawnspot – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, pale-brown hair (in a ponytail) and violet eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. A-cup. 28 yrso. Dark brown-and-white ears and tail.

Milkwing – 5'5". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, curly white hair with silvery tips and light-violet eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 27 yrso. Very pale, gray tabby ears and tail with black stripes.

Freckleshine – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, strawberry-blonde hair, freckles, and green eyes. Curvy and small-shouldered. C-cup. 19 yrso. Brown ears and tail. Former rogue.

Cherrystep – 5'7". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, auburn hair and brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. C-cup. 18 yrso. Tortoiseshell ears and tail.

 **Apprentices:**

Crowpaw – 6'0". Tan-skinned boy w/ long, black hair (in a ponytail) and red eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 15 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Marshpaw – 5'7". Olive-skinned girl w/ long, brown hair and red eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. C-cup. 15 yrso. Brown-and-black ears and tail.

Frostpaw – 5'8". Creamy-skinned girl w/ short, gray hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 15 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail.

Mudpaw – 5'11". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, brown hair and dark-amber eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 15 yrso. Brown, black-flecked, ears and tail.

Hollypaw – 5'2". Creamy-skinned girl w/ long, black hair, ice-blue eyes, and a mole below her left eye. Petite and small-shouldered. B-cup. 14 yrso. Black-and-white ears and tail.

Sandpaw – 5'5". Tan-skinned boy w/ short, light-brown hair and dark-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 14 yrso. Dark-brown tabby ears and tail.

Patchpaw – 5'6". Creamy-skinned boy w/ semi-long, dirty-blonde hair and light-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 14 yrso. Brown-and-cream ears and tail.

Whisperpaw – 4'11". Creamy-skinned girl w/ semi-long, creamy-blonde hair and pale-blue eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. A-cup. 11 yrso. Pale-ginger ears and tail.

 **Kit-Bearers:**

Willowpelt – 5'4". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, white hair and red eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. C-cup. 36 yrso. White ears and tail. Mother of Brackenfur's kits; Riverkit and Cedarkit

Frostleaf – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, thick, silky white hair with a tinge of blue and misty-gray eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. C-cup. 31 yrso. Silky, tuffed, bluish-white ears and a bluish-tipped tail. Expecting Volefoot's kits

Ravenheart – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, black hair (in ponytail) and violet eyes. Lanky and lean-muscled. D-cup. 25 yrso. Black ears and tail. Formerly of HeartClan. Mother of Flamewhisker's kits; Mosskit and Slatekit

 **Kits:**

Cedarkit – 4'3". Olive-skinned boy w/ short, grayish-brown hair and green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 9 yrso. Dull-brown tabby ears and tail.

Riverkit – 4'2". Olive-skinned girl w/ semi-long, white hair (tipped with pale-brown) and green eyes. Soft-muscled and small-shouldered. 9 yrso. Silvery-white ears and tail.

Mosskit – 2'3". Pale-skinned girl w/ chestnut-brown hair and brown eyes. Soft-muscled and average. 1 yro. Ginger-and-cream tabby ears and tail.

Slatekit – 2'4". Pale-skinned boy w/ black hair and light-violet eyes. Soft-muscled and average. 1 yro. Dark-gray tabby ears and tail.

 **Elders:**

Sharpglare – 6'3". Tan-skinned man w/ semi-long, dark-brown hair and pale-green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 49 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail.

Dovefoot – 5'11". Creamy-skinned woman w/ gray hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. A-cup. 46 yrso. Gray ears and tail.

 **Toys:**

Addison – 5'6". Creamy-skinned girl w/ long, light-brown hair and brown eyes. Skinny and small-shouldered. B-cup. 16 yrso. Black ears and tail. Kittypet.

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 **HEARTCLAN:**

 **Head-Males:**

Flamepelt – 6'4". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, red hair and golden-amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 41 yrso. Ginger ears and tail.

Stormstrike – 6'0". Tan-skinned man w/ short, black hair and dark-green eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 38 yrso. Dark-gray ears and tail.

Whitestar – 5'11". Pale-skinned man w/ short, white hair and violet eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 37 yrso. White ears and tail.

Silverclaw – 6'3". Pale-skinned man w/ short, light-silvery hair and dark, greenish-blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 37 yrso. Sleek, black ears and tail with white-tips.

 **Medicine Holder:** Raincloud – 5'7". Pale, yet creamy-skinned man w/ semi-long, grayish-white hair and dark-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 42 yrso. Light-gray tabby ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Featherpaw

 **Soldiers:**

Mudfeather – 6'2". Tan-skinned man w/ long, dark-brown hair that fades to auburn at the tips and amber eyes. Well-muscled and broad-shouldered. 48 yrso. Dark-brown, long-furred, ears and tail.

Redstorm – 5'10". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, red hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 46 yrso. Ginger ears and tail.

Hollowheart – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, blonde hair and green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 46 yrso. Ginger-and-cream ears and tail.

Blackflash – 5'10". Tan-skinned man w/ short, black hair and red eyes. Slim and lean-muscled. 45 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Bramblestorm – 6'2". Creamy-skinned man w/ light-brown hair and brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 44 yrso. Light-brown tabby ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Blackpaw

Sunspot – 5'9". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, messy blonde hair, bushy eyebrows, and green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 41 yrso. Curled, ginger (left) and white (right) ears and a ginger tail.

Mottlefur – 6'1". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, neat brown hair and amber-red eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 41 yrso. Mottled, brown ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Rainpaw

Oakfoot – 6'0". Olive-skinned man w/ semi-long, black hair and amber eyes. Lanky and broad-shouldered. 40 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Foxheart – 6'0". Tan-skinned man w/ short, ruffled red hair and brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 39 yrso. Black ears and a fluffy, white-tipped, ginger tail.

Stoneheart – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, white hair and dark, gray eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. Dark-gray ears and tail.

Berrypatch – 5'9". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, brown hair and brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 36 yrso. Creamy-brown ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Specklepaw

Russethawk – 5'3". Creamy-skinned man w/ semi-long, curly dark-red hair and jade-green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 34 yrso. Ginger ears and tail.

Ravenflight – 5'10". Creamy-skinned man w/ short, black hair that curls at the ends and indigo eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. 33 yrso. Black-and-white ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Thornpaw

Stormheart – 6'5". Creamy-skinned man w/ long, pale-gray hair and amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 33 yrso. Dark-gray, almost black, tabby ears and tail.

Blueleaf – 5'11". Creamy-skinned man w/ bluish-silver hair and brown eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 33 yrso. Silvery-gray ears and tail.

Snowstep – 5'6". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, white hair and heterochromatic eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 31 yrso. Snowy-white, long-furred, ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Birchpaw

Jayfrost – 5'11". Pale-skinned man w/ short, gray hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 30 yrso. Silver-and-black ears and tail. **Apprentice,** Rowanpaw

Nettletail – 5'5". Creamy-skinned man w/ light-brown hair and dark-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 26 yrso. Brown-and-cream ears and tail.

Needledrop – 5'7". Pale-skinned man w/ light-brown hair and ice-blue eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 26 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail.

Snaketooth – 5'9". Olive-skinned man w/ short, black hair and blue eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. 18 yrso. Dark-brown tabby ears and tail.

Deertail – 5'10". Olive-skinned man w/ semi-long, auburn hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 18 yrso. Ginger tabby ears and tail.

 **Lovers:**

Hazelmist – 5'3". Creamy-skinned woman w/ semi-long, ash-blonde hair and hazel eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. D-cup. 46 yrso. Brown-and-white ears and tail.

Primrosefall – 6'0". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, blonde hair (in spiraled twin-tails) and pale-green eyes. Small-shouldered and well-muscled. DD-cup. 43 yrso. Pale-golden, brownish tipped ears and tail.

Nightshimmer – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, wavy black hair and violet eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 43 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Frostbite – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, white hair and ice-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. C-cup. 41 yrso. White ears and a long, white tail.

Sheeplight – 5'1". Olive-skinned woman w/ platinum-blonde hair (pinned back) and golden-amber eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. A-cup. Creamy-white ears and bobbed tail.

Nighttail – 5'5". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, straight black hair and light-brown eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 42 yrso. Black ears and a black, white-tipped, tail.

Darkwhisper – 5'9". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, black hair and red eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. C-cup. 38 yrso. Black ears and a sleek, black tail.

Quailgaze – 5'0". Creamy-skinned woman w/ semi-long, brown hair and bluish-violet eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. C-cup. 37 yrso. Brown, gray-tipped ears and tail with white dapples.

Skywhisper – 5'7". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, curly dark-brown hair and sky-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. D-cup. 36 yrso. Dark-brown ears and a fluffy, dark-brown tail.

Brightpool – 5'6". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, wavy red hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 35 yrso. Ginger, white-flecked, ears and fluffy tail.

Honeyfur – 5'8". Olive-skinned woman w/ short, dark-blonde hair with brown tips and dark-blue eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. C-cup. 35 yrso. Golden tabby ears and tail.

Ashcloud – 5'6". Pale, yet creamy-skinned woman w/ long, wavy black hair (bangs to the side) and silvery-gray eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 31 yrso. Gray ears with a black stripe down each, and a long, dark-gray tail with a light tip.

Violet – 5'7". Olive-skinned woman w/ long, black hair with brown edges and dark-brown eyes. Small-shoulder and soft-muscled. 31 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail. Former kittypet.

Smokesong – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ very long, dark-gray hair and orange-amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and lean-muscled. 25 yrso. Dark-gray, silver-tipped, ears and tail.

Lavenderwing – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ very long, black hair and lavender eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. 24 yrso. Black ears and tail.

 **Apprentices:**

Featherpaw – 5'6". Creamy-skinned girl w/ long, wavy, brown hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. C-cup. 15 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail.

Dapplepaw – 5'5". Pale-skinned girl w/ semi-long, auburn hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. D-cup. 15 yrso. Tortoiseshell-and-white ears and tail.

Rowanpaw – 5'7". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, red hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 15 yrso. Dark-ginger ears and tail.

Birchpaw – 5'8". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, black hair and light-brown eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. 15 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail.

Blackpaw – 5'7". Creamy-skinned boy w/ long, black hair and gray eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 14 yrso. Dark-brown, almost –black, tabby ears and tail.

Fawnpaw – 5'4". Pale-skinned girl w/ long, dirty-blonde hair and amber eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. B-cup. 14 yrso. Gray-and-cream ears and tail.

Thornpaw – 5'7". Pale-skinned boy w/ semi-long, gray hair and hazel eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 14 yrso. Black ears and tail.

Specklepaw – 5'5". Creamy-skinned boy w/ semi-long, black hair and indigo eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 13 yrso. Black, white-flecked, ears and tail.

Petalpaw – 5'3". Creamy-skinned girl w/ long, almost white, pale-blonde hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. A-cup. 13 yrso. White ears and a fluffy, white tail.

Rainpaw – 5'4". Creamy-skinned boy w/ semi-long, white hair and pale-gray eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. 13 yrso. Gray-and-black ears and tail.

 **Kit-Bearers:**

Nightsong – 5'6". Pale-skinned woman w/ very long, black hair (tied into a high pony-tail) and blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. B-cup. 38 yrso. Tortoiseshell-and-white ears and tail. Mother of Stoneheart's kits; Adderkit and Stagkit

Blair – 5'3". Creamy-skinned woman w/ curly, strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. Petite and pudgy. D-cup. 33 yrso. Cream ears and tail. Former kittypet. Mother of Berrypatch's kits; Mousekit and Olivekit

Moonpetal – 5'5". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, slightly-wavy black hair and hazel eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. C-cup. 30 yrso. Black ears and tail, tipped with white. Expecting Stormheart's kits (8 months along)

Darkpool – 5'5". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, black hair (in ponytail) and dark-brown eyes. Slim and lean-muscled. 24 yrso. Black ears and tail. Expecting Jayfrost's kits (5 months along)

 **Kits:**

Adderkit – 4'3". Pale-skinned boy w/ short, black hair and blue eyes. Soft-muscled and broad-shouldered. 9 yrso. Gray tabby ears and tail.

Stagkit – 4'4". Pale-skinned boy w/ short, pale-gray hair and blue eyes. Soft-muscled and broad-shouldered. 9 yrso. Tortoiseshell-and-black ears and tail.

Mousekit – 3'9". Creamy-skinned girl w/ long, mouse-brown hair and dawn-blue eyes. Soft-muscled and small-shouldered. 7 yrso. Fluffy, cream-and-brown ears and tail.

Olivekit – 4'0". Creamy-skinned girl w/ semi-long, blonde hair and bright-blue eyes. Soft-muscled and small-shouldered. 7 yrso. Golden-brown tabby ears and tail.

 **Elders:**

Liontail – 6'7". Olive-skinned man w/ long, whitening hair and amber eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 72 yrso. Golden tabby ears and tail.

Milkmist – 5'5". Creamy-skinned woman w/ semi-long, curly whitening hair and amber eyes. Petite and slightly chubby. C-cup. 70 yrso. White ears and tail.

Stormfeather – 5'7". Creamy-skinned woman w/ long, wavy black hair and blue eyes. Lanky and small-shouldered. B-cup. 50 yrso. Pale-gray, long-furred ears and tail.

Petalwing – 5'4". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, white hair and amber eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. C-cup. 48 yrso. White, long-furred, ears and tail.

 **Toys:**

Slut – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, wavy, dark-brown hair and dark-gray eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. B-cup. 27 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail.

Holly – 5'7". Pale-skinned woman w/ long, black hair (in a ponytail) and pale-green eyes. Small-shouldered and lean-muscled. B-cup. 27 yrso. Black ears and tail.

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 **OUTSIDERS:**

Heap – 6'1". Olive-skinned man w/ ash-blonde hair and amber eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 40 yrso. Golden ears and tail. Rogue.

Toffee – 5'6". Tan-skinned girl w/ long, dark-brown hair and amber eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. B-cup. 19 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail. Rogue.

Raider – 6'2". Creamy-skinned man w/ semi-long, black hair and brown eyes. Broad-shouldered and well-muscled. 20 yrso. Black ears and tail. Rogue.

Ara – 5'5". Tan-skinned woman w/ long, blonde hair and green eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. C-cup. 16 yrso. Dark-brown ears and tail. Rogue.

Furze – 5'7". Creamy-skinned woman/ long, blonde hair and dark-blue eyes. Lean-muscled and small-shouldered. 21 yrso. D-cup. Golden tabby ears and tail with white markings. Rogue. (6 months pregnant)

Dune – 6'1". Creamy-skinned boy w/ semi-long, sandy-blonde hair and hazel eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 15 yrso. Tawny ears and tail. Rogue.

Roona – 5'5". Creamy-skinned girl w/ long, dark-brown hair and hazel eyes. Curvy and small-shouldered. B-cup. 17 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail. Rogue.

Nana – 5'0". Creamy-skinned girl/ long, brown hair and hazel eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. A-cup. 13 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail. Rogue.

Hachi – 5'1". Creamy-skinned girl w/ choppy, short brown hair and hazel eyes. Petite and small-shouldered. B-cup. 13 yrso. Brown tabby ears and tail. Rogue.

Tilly – 5'6". Creamy-skinned woman w/ pale-blonde hair in a bob-cut and violet eyes. Slightly-pudgy and soft-muscled. C-cup. 36 yrso. Fluffy, light-brown ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a light-blue collar.

Sebastian – 6'1". Pale-skinned man w/ semi-long, black hair and red eyes. Lean-muscled and broad-shouldered. 42 yrso. Sleek, black ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a black collar.

Ciel – 5'9". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, dark blue-gray hair and blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 35 yrso. Light blue-gray ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a midnight-blue collar.

Alois – 5'10". Creamy-skinned boy w/ short, blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. Slim and small-shouldered. 36 yrso. Golden ears and tail. Kittypet w/ a sea-green collar.

 **(5 ROGUES NEEDED)**

* * *

 **Deaths Between** _ **Blurred**_ **and** _ **Path**_ **:**

Blackpaw _(HeartClan)_ – Wounds

Silver _(HeartClan)_ – Greencough

Mudtooth _(LoveClan)_ – Dog Attack

Poolkit and Lightningkit _(HeartClan)_ – Greencough

Silvermist _(LoveClan)_ – Unknown Illness

Brokenheart _(LoveClan)_ – Killed by Willowpelt in "self-defense"

Stagfoot _(HeartClan)_ – Old Age

Sandstorm _(HeartClan)_ – Infected Wounds

Cum _(LoveClan)_ – Heart stopped during sex

Shimmer _(LoveClan)_ – Greencough

Darkflower and Unknown Kits _(LoveClan)_ – Bled out during birth

* * *

 **INFO:**

\- Nekos are pregnant for 9 months, not 3 months like cats. If you are giving a pregnant kit-bearer, please include how far along she is.

\- A kit-bearers breasts will swell up when nursing/pregnant. So tell me what her normal cup-size is alongside what it is now.

\- The tanned skin gene can only be in people with RiverClan or outsider ancestry. This is because tanned skin cannot be found in the other three ancient Clans.

\- Include the cup-size for girls. If your character is too young to have breasts, tell me how large they are going to get. In the Clans, breast-size usually only gets up to DD.

\- Pale skin can be genetic, since it is a Tribe characteristic.

\- A neko should only be pudgy if they are elderly, getting over a pregnancy, or an outsider. This is because soldiers, lovers, head-males, etc. are constantly active.

\- If you submit a kit, tell me how they will physically grow. This means how tall they'll get, whether their shoulders will broaden, etc.

\- Types of shoulders: Broad and small. Keep in mind that broad shoulders are different for a man and a woman.

\- Types of muscle: Well, lean, and soft. Soft muscles should only be found in kits, kittypets, and (maybe) elders.

\- Types of Skin Tone: Pale, cream, olive, and tan (natural)

\- I will accept red and violet eyes, but keep hair and fur reasonable. No sky-blue hair or anything like that.

* * *

 **THE FORM:**

 **Name:**

 **Age:**

 **Sex:**

 **Description: (include ears, tail, muscle type, skin tone, cup-size, etc.)**

 **Personality: (they don't HAVE to be cruel or insane)**

 **Mate/Crush:**

 **Parents:**

 **Kits:**

 **Is there anyone you'd like them to kill/rape/harm?:**

 **Other:**

 **Take note that all OCs must be rogues, or they will not be accepted. I cannot promise that any of these OCs will play a big part, since it is likely that they will only be briefly seen/mentioned.**

* * *

 **Some of the characters here are based off characters in TV, movies, games, etc.**

Mudfeather – Mink from _DRAMAtical Murder_ **(WARNING: Nsfw)**

Nightsong – Tsubaki from _Soul Eater_

Tilly – FEM!Finland from _Hetalia_

Blueleaf – Lapis Lazuli from _Steven Universe_

Sunspot – England from _Hetalia_

Sebastian, Ciel, and Alois – Same names from _Black Butler_

Crowpaw – Kuroh Yatogami from _K_

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **UPDATE: I need more male rogues, guys. I don't want to be overwhelmed by too many females.**


	2. Prologue: That Simple

"Come on, Crowpaw, you made me lick old pine sap!" Marshpaw urged, prodding her brother in the ribs. Crowpaw didn't stop her, but he simply glared in response, as he had already refused three times. Were all girls so persistent? Having dealt with Cherrypaw and Frostpaw for the past three years of his apprenticeship, he was pretty sure that this was true; and having Hollypaw becoming an apprentice only a few months ago didn't help with that assumption.

"I said no, deal with it," Crowpaw deadpanned, turning back to his spear. He had to make a new one, since Mudpaw had accidentally broken it when he decided that it was a good idea to wrestle with Flamepaw so close to the weapon.

Marshpaw huffed, turning as if ready to go pester someone else, thus giving her brother a bit of hope. However, this hope died when the girl didn't walk away. Instead, Crowpaw watched suspiciously as she started circling him slowly.

"I get it now, Crowpaw," she said with a sly tone, a smirk on her lips. Geez, why had Scorchfire passed that on to the both of them?

"Get what?" Crowpaw questioned, looking back down to his spear as he continued sharpening the point.

Marshpaw stopped circling him and chuckled, "You're scared. You don't wanna kiss Hollypaw because you know that she'll kick you in your—"

"That doesn't work with me, you know," Crowpaw cut in, still not looking up. Sure, that trick worked magic on Ripplepaw, but Crowpaw never cared about taunts that he knew weren't true. He wasn't in the least bit scared of Hollypaw. In spite of her fierceness, the girl was still way more inexperienced than he was, and therefore nothing to worry about. But, of course, that made messing with her even more fun.

Marshpaw was watching him, he knew that well enough. She was quiet though, and Crowpaw almost forgot that she was there when she suddenly spoke again.

"Ohh," she said as if she were finally catching on to something, "Now I _really_ get it."

"I'm sure you do."

"Of course I do," Marshpaw snickered, "You can't kiss her because you know that she already likes Mudpaw."

Hearing this, Crowpaw paused, "Are you serious? How can she like that weirdo?"

"I'm very serious. You know how she's always asking to watch his training sessions? And how she made her nest next to his? It's obvious when you think about it," Marshpaw replied, shrugging her shoulders, "I guess he's a lot more man than you are."

"A lot more…but he's nearly a whole year younger than us, why would he be a better soldier than me?" Crowpaw asked, mostly to himself. He didn't notice his sister smirk. If there was anything to know about Crowpaw, it was that he was quick to get jealous.

Marshpaw looked up and pointed towards the camp entrance, "Hey look, Crowpaw! Mudpaw's back with Pinestorm! They caught five fish, see? Hollypaw sure seems excited."

Crowpaw did look. As a matter of fact, he turned almost instantly when his sister mentioned Hollypaw. Of course, there the young apprentice was, bouncing around Mudpaw and telling him how 'amazing' he was. Figures, since fish was the girl's favorite food, never mind the kind. Seeing how just a little hunting trip could make Mudpaw look like StarClan to Hollypaw…that made an ugly feeling swell in Crowpaw's heart. It felt like a mixture of anger and abandonment, something that Crowpaw couldn't explain nor ignore.

When Hollypaw planted a kiss on Mudpaw's cheek, that feeling in Crowpaw's heart seemed to explode and he stood up, beginning to stalk towards the two. Marshpaw wore a smug look as she saw her brother become overwhelmed with jealousy, even to the point that he had abandoned his spear.

Hollypaw didn't notice him walking up to them, but Crowpaw was pleased to see Mudpaw pale upon seeing him. The younger boy could wait, though, and Crowpaw was only focused on Hollypaw. He grasped her shoulder, eliciting a surprised squeak as he forced her to look at him instead.

"Crowpaw, what are you—"

He didn't let her finish, planting a kiss on her lips. It was his first kiss, so it was close-mouthed and was honestly just him pressing their lips together until he could feel her teeth just behind them. His eyes were open, watching for her reaction. Hollypaw wore a shocked expression that quickly turned into anger as he saw the flames ignite in her icy-blue eyes, a red blush filling her cheeks. A heartbeat later, he found himself on the ground, having been pushed away.

"You pervert! Who do you think you are? You're a pervert! A pervert!" Hollypaw shouted, gaining more attention from their clanmates than they had already gotten. Patchpaw ran up, taking his sister's hand and leading her away with a few coaxing words. The girl continued to rave angrily as she walked.

Crowpaw couldn't care less about being pushed down. He had kissed her, successfully giving Mudpaw a lesson and getting Marshpaw off his back for the mean time. Most of all, he had gotten a blush out of Hollypaw. He stood up and brushed himself off, walking back to his unfinished spear, not caring for the few clanmates that were still watching him. He lifted his hand to touch his lips, remembering how soft Hollypaw's had been, in spite of how terrible the kiss was. He glanced to where she was now sitting with Patchpaw and Sandpaw, likely grumbling to them. A smirk curved his lips.

In that moment, he made his decision. Hollypaw was going to be his mate as soon as he turned sixteen and became a soldier. That was a good four years away, but he could wait. She was perfect, really, and he liked her spirit. Yes, she already belonged to him, didn't she? Looking at the darkening sky, Crowpaw figured that StarClan must have set up Marshpaw's dare in order for him to realize this. With this, he concluded that he was right. Hollypaw belonged to him, just like how he belonged to her.

It was that simple.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: There's your prologue, lovelies! I hope that you are all ready for the real story to begin!**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Mudpaw is named after his deceased father, Mudtooth. Sweetheart couldn't help but notice how much he looks like the head-male.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	3. One: The Pheasant

Hollypaw didn't really enjoy some of her duties. Though she'd never admit it, she wasn't very good at weaving, and she'd always screw up when cooking one way or another. The only thing she was really good at was foraging and occasionally helping the males with repairs. This fact was kind of depressing, since Hollypaw knew that a clan cannot run without the help of the lovers, and she was doing a terrible job on her part. Still, she was a lover, so she'd suck it up and do her best…most of the time.

"Uh, Hollypaw…" Whisperpaw said tentatively, tapping on Hollypaw's shoulder.

Giving the older apprentice her attention, Hollypaw replied, "Yeah?"

"You do realize that they feathers should be removed _before_ you clean it, right?"

Hollypaw's expression went blank, and she quickly glanced down at the pheasant in her hold. The decently-plump creature's feathers were soaked, since she'd hastily forced the body into some water. Unlike ducks or geese, pheasant feathers weren't as resistant to liquid, and the thing looked downright ugly now. Hollypaw mentally slapped herself, realizing that Whisperpaw was absolutely right.

"Ugh, now I have to pluck wet feathers and wash it all over again," she groaned with distaste.

Whisperpaw offered her a smile, "Hey now, we can't all be as good as Brindlefrost when it comes to this. Everyone makes mistakes, right?"

Hollypaw frowned as she started plucking, though she did make a sound of acknowledgement. It was a good thing that Whisperpaw had been the one to notice her mistake rather than one of the older women. Most of them would give her a mini-lecture before watching her complete her work. It was more irritating than anything, but they were all her "mentors" in a way, so she had to deal with the treatment.

"I'm happy that you aren't the sulking type, but try not to tear the meat while you're upset," Whisperpaw said, obviously observing the rough manner of Hollypaw's plucking.

"Yeah, sure," Hollypaw replied. She looked up from her work when she saw the boys returning with their mentors. Sandpaw and Patchpaw both looked exhausted, with their normally-appealing faces ruined with dirt and sweat. They seemed to be still in the process of catching their breath, too.

 _Battle training_ , Hollypaw realized. She guessed that they had been forced to run back to camp by their mentors as well. From what her brothers had told her, Volefoot was usually the one to suggest such strenuous exercises while the other adults agreed.

Her eyes traveled to the two older apprentices. Mudpaw looked pretty tired, but not as much as the younger boys. Crowpaw was in similar shape, but didn't show much of his weariness. In fact, his expression was devoid of anything but indifference. He even had the audacity to yawn as Mudpaw allowed himself to flop onto the ground. Hollypaw felt a familiar twinge of irritation prick her like a thorn. She was used to the feeling after having been forced to deal with Crowpaw for nearly five years.

"What's wrong?" Whisperpaw asked, catching her attention.

"Huh?"

"You're staring at the boys."

Hollypaw quickly went over her options. Whisperpaw knew plenty about Hollypaw's resentment towards Crowpaw, but she never liked to hear about it. So with little hesitation she replied, "It just that they're looking especially tired today. That's all."

Whisperpaw nodded, watching the older apprentices, "Yeah, they are. I hope Sandpaw doesn't get sick like last time."

Hearing the younger girl's worried tone, Hollypaw glanced up at her brother. Sandpaw had caught his breath, and was allowing Patchpaw to lean against him as they chatted with Mudpaw. His face was a little pale, but he looked fine otherwise.

"He'll be okay," she assured Whisperpaw, then proceeding to return to work.

There were times when Hollypaw wondered what it'd be like to be a boy. She'd get to hunt and fight, both of which she was sure she'd be good at; but she'd also be assigned to one mentor. The idea was strange, but Hollypaw certainly didn't like the thought of obeying a single man, and much preferred doing so for multiple women. At least with her situation, she could go to one woman for orders and another for help if necessary. Boys only had one adult to truly depend on for six years.

Patchpaw had informed her on the big difference as soon as he was paired with Volefoot. He explained how he'd have to work hard to catch up to Sandpaw, and how his hands had ached after scratching up moss all day. But two years later, the boy was perfectly fitted to his new position and was happy with it. Hollypaw didn't think she'd take to it as easily, so a lover she would stay. Besides, she wasn't like Patchpaw, whom was a true male at heart despite his feminine body's contradictions.

"Tsk, seems like you screwed up again, huh?"

Instantly, Hollypaw ripped out a bunch of feathers within her clenched fist. She knew exactly who was behind her, and could feel him looming over her shoulder, inspecting her mistake. Slowly, she looked up; and sure enough, Crowpaw was standing over her. A lazy, though unmistakably amused expression adorning his face.

"Who are you to judge a woman's work, asshole?" Hollypaw growled, moving her hand in a failing attempt to conceal the bird.

Crowpaw clicked his tongue again, "Tsk, I think anyone can with the amount of times you've messed up. If you don't step up, you won't have your full name until you're thirty."

"Says the boy who couldn't swim properly for two years!" Hollypaw countered. Mudpaw had informed her of that fact soon after she learned how to swim, and she never let it down. While she'd gotten the hang of it almost immediately at the age of ten, Crowpaw couldn't avoid drowning until he was twelve.

Clearly, Crowpaw was prepared to make a comeback, but Whisperpaw intervened, "Can you two please not fight? At least, not so I can see?"

"Oh, sorry, Whisperpaw. I forgot you were here," Hollypaw apologized guiltily.

"Your memory's never been the best," Crowpaw teased, "But I suppose we can chat later."

With that, he promptly strutted off with a cocky look. Hollypaw suddenly wondered if a half-plucked pheasant would make a good projectile. She grumbled, going back to work, "He said 'chat', Whisperpaw!"

"So?" Whisperpaw questioned, tilting her head. She clearly didn't get the older girl's point.

"He acts like it's _fun_ to screw with me! StarClan, it probably is for him, but that jackass needs to be taken down a peg or two! His damn ego makes me wanna punch him!" Hollypaw growled, tearing at the bird viciously.

Whisperpaw glanced down at the pheasant, "It's bad to disrespect fresh-kill like that, you know."

Hollypaw paused briefly, observing the blood that stained her fingers. She realized that she must have unknowingly torn the flesh somehow, and sighed, "Yeah, I know."

Perhaps she could conceal the mistake later. It wasn't like anyone would notice. Hollypaw did her best to continue with calm motions, despite the burning anger inside of her. This was Crowpaw's fault, after all. The damn apprentice couldn't help but taunt her for every mistake she made. He never failed to notice, either, no matter how hard she tried to cover it up. The boy really did seem to enjoy making her life miserable. That was for sure.

"Crowpaw isn't always so bad," Whisperpaw said absently, as if she'd read Hollypaw's mind.

"Yeah right," Hollypaw commented dryly, "Name one good thing about that jacka—jerk."

If Whisperpaw noticed the near-curse, she pretended not to. She hummed, pressed one finger to her chin as she thought. After a moment, Hollypaw was sure that she couldn't come up with anything, but then the younger apprenticed snapped her fingers.

"Well, he's pretty dedicated, right?" she suggested brightly.

"If he stopped bumming around and actually took something seriously—which he never does—then yeah, he could be," Hollypaw countered.

"He can be serious sometimes, Hollypaw, you just never notice!" Whisperpaw argued. The older girl snorted in response.

"You're acting like you've got a crush on him;" she eyed Whisperpaw warily, " _Do you?_ "

Whisperpaw's face twisted into a look of horror, "StarClan, no! Crowpaw's cool and all, but you know I've only got eyes for Sandpaw!"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Hollypaw said. She then smiled slyly, "I'll be sure to tell Sandpaw all about how 'cool' you think Crowpaw is."

"Gah! Don't!" Whisperpaw cried, though the glint in her eyes said that she knew that Hollypaw was only kidding.

Sure, Hollypaw hated some of her duties, but times like this were pretty okay. As long as Crowpaw wasn't present to ruin these moments of carefree fun and laughter, that is.

* * *

In the end, Hollypaw figured out a perfect revenge on Crowpaw for his little comment earlier. She pretty much demanded that he eat the pheasant she prepared, pestering him in a way that surely made Marshpaw proud, judging by the girl's amused look. Hollypaw fully expected Crowpaw to resist in some way, just by seeing the half-burnt bird. But to her shock and frustration, he did no such thing.

"You want me to eat it? Tsk…alright," Crowpaw said nonchalantly. In Hollypaw's stunned surprise, he took the item of prey from her and promptly tore away a piece of burnt meat, sticking it into his mouth with no hesitation.

Hollypaw stood there, watching him. What was this asshole thinking? No one in their right mind would have eaten something like that pheasant. It would get them sick in the stomach, for sure!

Then she realized what he was doing. Crowpaw wasn't stupid, and she supposed that he'd caught on to her revenge plan. Now he was eating it just to destroy any hope of satisfaction for her! She curled her fists, feeling her tail bristle with anger. As expected of this fucking asshole!

Crowpaw finished the first bite and deadpanned, "Tsk, this is terrible. You're an awful cook."

He hadn't even bothered to look at her when he said it! Hollypaw growled, fully aware of Marshpaw snickering off to the side with Patchpaw. Seething, she hissed, "You tongue-clicking bastard! If you don't like it, don't eat it!"

She was about to snatch the rest of the bird away when Crowpaw moved his hands to shield it. Caught off guard, Hollypaw gave him a confused look. What was with him?

He smirked at her, "Tsk, you've disrespected it enough, don't you think? At least let it be eaten as it was meant to be."

With that, he promptly tore away another piece and continued eating. Hollypaw blinked, slowly absorbing what he'd said. Once she did, she gritted her teeth in frustration. StarClan, she needed to use an outlet for her anger, before she punched the smug look right off of Crowpaw's face. Angrily, she stormed off towards the other apprentices.

Patchpaw smiled, "Well, that went well!"

"Shut it, you!" Hollypaw hissed. Her brother merely laughed in response, and Hollypaw saw Ripplespot shake his head disapprovingly. The man was being used as a seat by the apprentice; nothing unusual for them.

Grumbling, Hollypaw plopped down next to Sandpaw and grabbed his tail. Sandpaw twitched; giving her a glance, but then went back to quietly speaking with Whisperpaw. Hollypaw didn't bother listening in, being too busy squeezing her brother's tail. This was a habit that she'd developed soon after Crowpaw first began pissing her off. Sandpaw was fine with being used as a stress-reliever, since his tail wasn't as sensitive as some others'. Hollypaw had tried it with Patchpaw, only for the boy to yelp, thus nearly getting Hollypaw attacked by a nearby Ripplespot.

"He ate it for a reason, you know," Marshpaw said in a sing-song voice. Hollypaw responded with a grumble, not really wanting to talk.

"It's not for whatever reason he gave," she continued cheerfully.

Hollypaw rolled her eyes. She already knew why he'd done it. Crowpaw was a complete and utter pain-in-the-ass, fully set on pissing Hollypaw off in any way possible; which included eating burnt prey. Simple.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: There you are, lovelies! I promised chapter one, and here it is! Crowpaw can be an ass, huh?**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Patchpaw is transgendered.**

 **I hope everyone's had a great holiday so far! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanza, Hanukkah, Soup Day, or whatever holiday you're celebrating!**

 **Please remember to review. I'm serious guys. Reviews are the thing that keep writers motivated, since it lets them know that people are actually reading and enjoying (or not) their work!**

 **Happy Holidays~!**

 **\- Tina**


	4. Two: Move, Mudpaw

"Honestly, what's with that guy?" Hollypaw questioned angrily. She was speaking more to herself than to Patchpaw, whom had been kind enough to stick around when she first started ranting. Of course, she was referring to what that ass called Crowpaw had done last night.

* * *

 _It had taken a good while for Hollypaw to cool down after the whole burnt pheasant incident, and all she wanted now was to sleep. Groaning, she threw herself down into her nest, immediately grateful for the softness that came with it. Burying her face into the cushiony padding of pine needles and grass, she took a deep breath and let the comforting scent sink in. With a sigh, she turned her head to see the other apprentices settling in for the night._

 _Patchpaw let out a playful yip before pouncing on Sandpaw's back, though he didn't get much of a reaction. Sandpaw was kind of used to the kit-like liveliness that his brother possessed, and so was Hollypaw. She laughed a bit when Sandpaw shrugged Patchpaw off, causing the boy to fall on Whisperpaw's legs._

" _Ah!" the younger girl screeched in surprise, her blue eyes snapping open in an instant. She sat up and realized that it was Patchpaw, "What are you doing?"_

" _Just messing with my brother," Patchpaw replied with a goofy grin, "Sorry to scare you."_

 _Sandpaw leaned over and pulled Patchpaw up, pushing the boy towards his own nest, "Cut out the playing and lie down. Your mentor suggested more battle practice, so we need rest."_

 _Patchpaw huffed, but obeyed, "Jeez, Volefoot is always pushing us so hard. Wanna trade mentors, Mudpaw?"_

 _Mudpaw, whom had sat down in his nest beside Hollypaw, instantly shook his head, "No, I prefer distant to vicious."_

" _He's not that bad," Patchpaw protested in his mentor's defense. Marshpaw, who entered the hut in the middle of the conversation, tossed a pebble at Patchpaw's head._

" _Then you should be just fine with Volefoot," she said with a playful expression. Patchpaw got ready to throw something at her, but received a warning look from Sandpaw._

" _I'm getting back at you tomorrow," Patchpaw warned, pointing at Marshpaw as a mock threat._

" _Tsk, hey you. Move."_

 _Hollypaw sat up a bit when she heard Crowpaw's tell-tale voice. When had he came in? She glared at him, but the teen was too focused on Mudpaw to notice the look._

 _Mudpaw's eyes widened, "What?"_

" _You heard me," Crowpaw said coolly, "Move somewhere else."_

" _Who are you to boss him around?" Hollypaw demanded. Why did Crowpaw feel he had any right to push Mudpaw around all the time? After all, he'd been bossy towards the brown-haired teen before, and Mudpaw was always too non-confrontational to stand up to him. How did a few months of age give him an advantage?_

 _Crowpaw slid his gaze towards her for only a heart-beat, "Stay out of this."_

" _Crowpaw, are you really doing this now?" Marshpaw asked in a whisper. It wasn't unusual for her to know what her brother was up to, though Hollypaw doubted that she was ever really informed. But Marshpaw was in tune with him like Brindlefrost was with Wolfthorn. She knew every little thing about the raven-head._

 _The boy didn't give his sister any attention, and simply repeated to Mudpaw, "Move."_

" _Asshole, you don't get to tell him to move! He's been in the same place for five years!" Hollypaw hissed._

" _Move," Crowpaw said again. His voice was getting lower, and almost dangerous in tone. It was as if he was actually considering hurting the younger teen in order to get what he wanted. Hollypaw didn't like it one bit._

" _Quit trying to intimidate him!" she yelled._

" _Hollypaw, don't shout," Sandpaw chided, though his words fell on deaf ears._

"Move _," the black-haired teen reiterated. This time, it came out as a growl, low and threatening. Crowpaw's hands had curled into fists, and he had straightened to his full height. Hollypaw was ashamed to admit that she froze right then and there. In fact, everyone did. No one had ever heard Crowpaw growl before, since he never got angry. The mere sound of it had sent a shiver up Hollypaw's spine._

 _Mudpaw stared at him for a moment before ducking his head in a silent nod. Hollypaw blinked, regaining her senses and grabbed the boy's wrist, "You don't have to listen to him. He can't do anything to you, or he'll have to deal with the head-males."_

" _It's okay, Hollypaw. Really," Mudpaw said, "It's not that big a deal."_

 _She watched as he lifted himself up and walked around her. Marshpaw was quick to get his attention, and urged him to lie down in Crowpaw's former nest. The teen gave a wary look towards Crowpaw, but did as Marshpaw said and stayed close to her._

 _When Hollypaw brought her attention back to Crowpaw, she was shocked to see that all that aggression was gone. He was back to his lazy-looking self, though his red eyes gleamed with satisfaction. With a smug look, he seated himself next to her._

" _W-what in the name of StarClan…" Hollypaw questioned, trying to comprehend how he went from ready-to-kill to being a egotistical asshole so quickly. The other apprentices seemed to merely be appreciating that the moment was over, and were settling down despite obviously being disturbed._

 _Once the initial shock was gone, Hollypaw felt angry all over again. She didn't even realize that her hand had shot out before her palm made contact with Crowpaw's cheek, effectively creating the tell-tale sound of a hard slap. She immediately pulled her hand back and held it to her chest, surprised at herself for what she had done. Sure, she'd gotten pissed to the point of throwing things at Crowpaw, but she'd never actually hit him before now._

 _Crowpaw brought his hand up to his cheek, gently pressing his fingers to the reddening mark. Then, to Hollypaw's complete surprise, he smirked._

" _Tsk, you've really got to get your strength up," he remarked, "That barely stung."_

 _Hollypaw glared at him whole-heartedly, "You're an ass!"_

" _And?"_

" _Arrgh!" Hollypaw growled before turning on her side, giving him a full view of her back. She'd love to move away more than anything, but there was barely anywhere to move to. Really, the apprentices hut needed to be expanded if Willowpelt's kits were moving in in just one moon. As for now, she'd have to fall asleep knowing that Crowpaw was right fucking next to her._

* * *

"I guess he really must like you, huh?" Patchpaw asked slyly.

Hollypaw shot a glare at her brother, "Don't even insinuate shit like that. There's no way in Silverpelt that Crowpaw wants anything more to do with me than drive me crazy for his entertainment."

"Well~," Patchpaw said in a sing-song voice, "He _did_ kiss you a few years back, didn't he?"

"To piss me the fuck off, yeah," Hollypaw retorted. She received a shake of the head from her brother, who looked at her disapprovingly.

"Tut, tut, Hollypaw," he said as if he were a scolding mother, "Cursing isn't very becoming of a lady."

He then winked at her, "If you want him to leave you alone, try not doing that, eh?"

"You think breaking my bad habit will stop that asshole?" Hollypaw asked in an unimpressed tone. She started when Patchpaw tapped her on the nose with one finger.

"No~, silly! I mean you should stop getting so angry," he explained.

"Well, how am I supposed to react?" the girl inquired, feeling frustrated by the fact that she wasn't getting the point of what Patchpaw was saying. Then again, it was just like him to beat around the bush.

Patchpaw sighed, "You don't. That's the point. Crowpaw feeds on your reactions, so you need to _stop_ reacting. Just ignore him, you know? He'll get bored and find something else to do."

"Ignore him?" Hollypaw thought this over and felt hope fill her being. Overjoyed, she grabbed her brother and hugged him tightly, "That's it, Patchpaw! Oh, why didn't I think of that? You're an absolute genius!"

"Yes, I know, but can you please stop squeezing me?" Patchpaw asked in a strained voice. Hollypaw took note of this and released him, offering an apology. However, it might have been unconvincing, due to the bright smile on her face. For a last measure, she kissed her brother on the cheek happily. Really, she felt like an idiot for never coming up with the idea on her own, but that's what having a clever brother like Patchpaw was for!

"Thank you!" she said gratefully before hurrying to start on her duties. As she ran, she remembered that the Gathering was this very night. Her smile grew wider. Crowpaw loved to bug her at the Gatherings, comparing her to the lover apprentices in HeartClan and embarrassing her in front of them. She'd happily practice ignoring him then, just to see his reaction before all those HeartClan apprentices.

Behind her, Patchpaw watched his sister go with a pleased expression. Ripplespot wandered up to him.

"You have some type of plan, don't you? I can see it on your face," the warrior commented.

Patchpaw smiled up at him slyly, "Oh? I didn't know I was so readable. But yeah, I've got a plan alright."

Ripplespot sighed, wrapping his arms around Patchpaw and resting his chin on the boy's head, "I'll never get you."

"You don't have to get me to love me, Spotty~," Patchpaw sang happily. Ripplespot kissed his hair.

"Yeah, I guess I don't."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Chapter two, just for you! I hope you guys enjoyed the bit of Patch x Ripple that I threw in there. ;)**

 **Let's see how Hollypaw's new tactic works at the Gathering next time!**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Hollypaw and her siblings were born on April 22** **nd** **. Therefore, they all share Taurus as their zodiac sign. (Like me!)**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	5. IMPORTANT

**Hello lovelies,**

 **For whatever reason, FF is not allowing me to view any new reviews that my stories have gotten within the past two days. So if you recently reviewed, I cannot see it and I'm not sure when I'll be able to. This has happened once before, and lasted a good five days, so I hope that this issue will disappear again. If it doesn't, I'll likely report the problem.**

 **As of now, just PM your reviews to me, since I can still see new messages. This especially goes for anyone that's requested a character/asked a question on** _ **"Blurred Drama Story"**_ **. Until I can view them, I obviously cannot create a new update.**

 **When or if this issue is resolved, I'll make an announcement to let you guys know. Thanks to taking the time to read this, since I know that you were likely hoping for an update. Rest assured,** _ **"Origin"**_ **and** _ **"Path"**_ **are okay to continue despite this problem, since their updates aren't affected by it.**

 **Thanks again,**

 **\- Tina**


	6. Three: The Gathering

To Hollypaw, the Gatherings actually weren't that bad. Aside from Crowpaw's constant interference in the past, she genuinely liked going to that little island on the lake. After all, it was the only time that the two Clans could meet with the promise of peace between them. Although she had never felt the need to speak to a HeartClanner on her own, she had had group conversations whenever Patchpaw or Whisperpaw encouraged her into it. From those group conversations, she realized that HeartClan wasn't like all the nursery tales she'd heard. Instead of being nosy and violent, the few she'd met were actually pretty nice. Namely a senior lover named Ashcloud and an apprentice named Specklepaw, both of which she'd become acquainted with.

Looking around now, she saw that Patchpaw was gone off to chat with three HeartClan apprentices, one of them being Specklepaw. Gatherings were one of the few times that Patchpaw would voluntarily leave Ripplespot's side, though Hollypaw could plainly see the young warrior watching his partner from a few fox-lengths away. She also noticed that Ravenheart and Sweetheart were happily reuniting with some of their old clanmates, including two females that resembled Ravenheart, so Hollypaw guessed that they were kin. Even Sharpglare, who was known for his temper, was quietly muttering to a HeartClan elder with wavy, black hair.

Yes, the Gatherings weren't all that bad. But there was that one certain red-eyed apprentice that enjoyed ruining the experience for her, whether it be with embarrassing comments or comparisons that challenged her self-esteem.

 _Well, not this time!_ Hollypaw thought with anticipation. This was the night that she'd put Patchpaw's suggestion to the test.

"Hey, Hollypaw," a familiar, soft voice greeted from behind her. Hollypaw stopped clasping her hands in excitement and turned to face Specklepaw, who stood with Patchpaw and a red-haired apprentice that she wasn't familiar with. Spotting the stranger, she suddenly felt some of her confidence sink into her belly like a stone.

"Uh, hey, Specklepaw," she said, trying to ignore the red-head, "What's up?"

Specklepaw smiled, and gestured towards the stranger, "I wanted to introduce you to Rowanpaw. I know you're shy, so I decided to give a little nudge, ya know?"

He winked with a playful smile that reminded her of Patchpaw. Glancing at her brother, she saw that he bore his usual teasing smile as well. Wary, she said to Specklepaw, "I think you talk to this guy too much. Soon enough you'll be a minx, too."

Patchpaw stopped smiling and feigned a hurt expression, "Are you talking about me? So mean!"

Specklepaw 's face had gone red, "What?"

"I'm kidding, Specklepaw, you know that," Hollypaw said in assurance, giving the younger apprentice a gentle nudge.

"Yeah, well," Patchpaw said, grabbing Rowanpaw's arm and urging him closer to Hollypaw, "We came over her to get you a new…friend. So make the chit-chat while Specklepaw and I go act like we're not eavesdropping. And make it fast, because I'm sure that the reports will start soon."

"Eavesdropping?" Specklepaw questioned. However, he didn't really get a chance to go any further as Patchpaw rushed him away, looking back only to give a wink before disappearing behind some soldiers.

Without Patchpaw or Specklepaw nearby, Hollypaw was suddenly painfully aware that she had been left with a boy that she didn't know. Though she was pretty sure that Specklepaw had mentioned him before, but she'd never actually met the guy. Glancing up at him, she noticed that Rowanpaw looked pretty uncomfortable, too.

Hollypaw figured that she should at least try speaking to him, especially since Patchpaw was no doubt listening from somewhere, "So, I think Specklepaw mentioned that you're good at hunting. That true?"

Rowanpaw looked surprised, as if he hadn't expected her to speak, but he answered nonetheless, "Uh, yeah, I guess I am. Though, I'm better at repairing."

For Hollypaw, watching the soldiers repair huts and such had always been interesting. Seeing how they used certain materials in certain ways, never randomizing any move they made; it was fascinating to her. She especially loved it when Hawkglare would let her assist him occasionally, as a way of bonding with her since he spent more time with Sandpaw and Patchpaw due to their status.

With her interest sparked, she asked, "Do you like repairing?"

"Yeah," Rowanpaw replied, "I don't know why, but it comes to me easier than fighting or hunting. Plus, I like working with my hands like that."

"What about the materials, do you have a favorite? I like working with the reeds," Hollypaw said, feeling more open, "They bend nicely, though they're still good and tough in your hands."

The red-haired apprentice seemed astonished, "I prefer birch bark, honestly. They fill in the small holes better than anything. But, uh, how do you know about materials like that?"

"I like to watch," Hollypaw said, and then added, "But I help sometimes, too."

"Really? I've never heard of a lover taking on soldier duties," Rowanpaw said, quirking his brow slightly.

Hollypaw suddenly felt insecure. Did that make him think that she was weird? Not that she minded, since she liked doing things her own way, but he was one of the first apprentices she'd met that shared that interest with her. She most certainly didn't want to put him off.

"That's pretty cool."

Hearing this, Hollypaw blinked in surprise. Rowanpaw bore a small smile that looked completely genuine and so unlike Crowpaw's infuriating smirk. Before she even realized it, Hollypaw was smiling back.

"You think so? Some of the soldiers don't really agree with that, but the head-males don't really see it as a problem," she informed. That was true, by the way. While some of the men thought Hollypaw was odd for wanting to help in repairing, the head-males didn't view it as a relevant issue.

" _An extra hand isn't something to whine over,"_ Raccoonclaw had said when one soldier took it up with him.

Rowanpaw widened his smile a bit, "Well, the girls in my clan tend to have their hands full, so I don't think they'd have the time to help out even if they wanted to."

"That so?" Hollypaw asked. She really was beginning to like this boy, even though they'd only been talking for a couple of minutes.

"Yeah, we're having some issues with the long-grass, so the lovers are working twice as hard lately. Nothing too troublesome, though," Rowanpaw replied. He seemed to add that last part quickly, and Hollypaw figured that it was because you weren't supposed to reveal certain things to nekos from a different clan. She almost wanted to tell him that she wouldn't tell anyone, but she decided against it. It sounded like something Addison would say in order to get a soldier to visit her more often. For a toy, the kittypet seemed to enjoy her duties.

"I see," Hollypaw said, "Is there anything else that you—"

"Hey, look, the reports are starting!" Rowanpaw said, cutting her off. Hollypaw turned to where the head-males had gathered, noticing that everyone else had already gone quiet. Looking at the HeartClan leaders, she couldn't help but notice that they seemed a bit anxious. She glanced at Rowanpaw, wondering if there was a bigger problem after all.

Raccoonclaw stepped up, signifying that LoveClan was first.

"All is well in LoveClan," he stated, smooth and clear, "Dovefoot has retired from her duties as a lover, and we wish that she enjoys were remaining years."

There were a few murmurs of agreement from several nekos, mainly the senior lover and soldiers, as well as the present elders. As far as Hollypaw knew, Dovefoot's joints were aching to the point that it was painful to continue her lover duties, and she retired somewhat reluctantly. Though the older woman didn't like doing so, she did seem to be much more at ease now.

"Aside from that, there have been no major issues to speak of," Raccoonclaw said, proceeding to step back and allow Flamepelt to take his place. Hollypaw took note that, while he did have red hair, it wasn't as dark as Rowanpaw's. Nor was it as thick.

The HeartClan leader's tail twitched as he spoke, "I ask that everyone pay close attention, as this is a very important message. Recently, there's been some activity beyond the northern border. More specifically, some rogues have become extremely hostile towards us. In fact, just last night, one of our senior warriors was badly injured in an encounter with one of these rogues. While HeartClan is fully capable to taking them on, I'd like to let it be known that they are violent and have no qualms about killing, and that it'd be best to avoid going out alone."

Hollypaw's eyes widened. Despite what he said about HeartClan being capable, it was clear that Flamepelt saw these rogues as a great danger. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have mentioned them. Scorchfire spoke up.

"How are your clan's troubles relevant to LoveClan?" he inquired, appearing only mildly interested.

Flamepelt met his eyes, "The rogues appear to be moving closer to your territory, from what we've gathered. I do believe that if they have no issue with fighting us, then they certainly won't hesitate to go after a lone soldier or adventurous kit."

He'd emphasized the word "kit" in a way that made Hollypaw wonder if such a thing had happened in HeartClan. It seemed that her clanmates were having the same thoughts judging by a few whispers. The HeartClanners appeared uncomfortable and even wary. Rowanpaw shifted beside her, moving away slightly.

Scorchfire was quiet, and Blackheart eventually replied in an even voice, "Your warning has been heard. The reports are over."

As the head-males left their positions, Hollypaw turned back towards Rowanpaw. He looked almost sickly, with his face a shade paler and his tail twitching. Feeling a rush of compassion, she placed her hand on his arm, ignoring the way he jumped slightly.

"Are you alright?" she asked, making sure that it didn't come out harsh in any way.

Rowanpaw seemed to regain his calm and nodded, "I'm fine."

"Tsk, romancing HeartClanners, are we?"

Hollypaw immediately removed her hand from Rowanpaw's arm as she snapped to look at Crowpaw. The tall teen calmly strode over, his red eyes glinting in a way that made Hollypaw want to shudder. He always got that glint in his eyes when he was about to mess with her. Before she could hiss out a remark, she remembered her and Patchpaw's plan.

 _Ignore him, Hollypaw, you can do it,_ she told herself, willing her tail to leave its bristled state.

Crowpaw seemed to give Rowanpaw a once-over, "Tsk, Dapplepaw's brother, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, you know her?" Rowanpaw said, looking cautious. Hollypaw couldn't blame him.

"Tsk, not really," Crowpaw replied, "But she's got a nice body. It looks like HeartClan girls always look better than the ones in my clan."

He had shifted his eyes towards Hollypaw when he said that. It was obvious bait that Hollypaw refused to fall for, no matter how much she wanted to. She only held his gaze for a heart-beat before turning her attention to Rowanpaw. The boy looked shocked, but quickly got over it.

"Don't talk about girls like they're just bodies," he said, showing no trace of the wariness he once had, "It's disrespectful."

Hollypaw didn't look at Crowpaw, even though she _really_ wanted to see the look on his face. His voice, however, came out in a way that told her exactly how irritated he actually was, despite what he said.

"Opinions," Crowpaw said, "Are different for everyone. What I said was a reminder."

Rowanpaw crossed his arms, "What kind of reminder is that?"

Jeez, this HeartClanner was a brave one, Hollypaw decided. Mudpaw, despite only an inch shorter than Crowpaw, would never speak so daringly towards the older teen. Crowpaw had a good three or four inches on Rowanpaw, yet the red-head didn't even seem to notice. If she didn't like him before, then Hollypaw definitely did now.

She could feel Crowpaw's eyes on her as the boy spoke, "Tsk, some girls just need to know what they're lacking."

That was a direct shot towards her, and Hollypaw knew it. She didn't know what Dapplepaw looked like, but she was sure that the girl was likely better shaped and more endowed than her. Physical things like that were always something Crowpaw liked to point out. Personally, Hollypaw didn't really take much damage, but she was always left furious. Even now, she felt her fingers twitch. StarClan, she wanted to turn and yell at him, curse him out, maybe even hit him. She couldn't help that her breasts weren't enormous or that her curves weren't as defined as other girls'! Who in Silverpelt was he to point that out, anyways?!

Rowanpaw seemed to catch on to her anger, and hissed out, "Are you saying that to put her down? Hollypaw's quite beautiful, in case you never noticed. Perhaps you're a bit blind?"

The boy and smirked while saying the last part. Hollypaw was honestly surprised. She didn't think that Rowanpaw would be the type to pull such a look, but he certainly did pull it well. Furthermore, she was grateful for his defense, since she couldn't do so herself at the moment.

She heard Crowpaw suck his teeth before saying, "It's time to go."

Hearing footsteps, Hollypaw finally turned in the teen's direction. He was walking away, his long hair swaying behind him in the ponytail that it was styled in. She noticed that her clanmates were moving, too, and realized that it really was time to leave.

Giving Rowanpaw a grateful smile, she said, "Thanks for helping me out with him."

Rowanpaw still seemed peeved, but offered her a smile in return, "It's no problem. I just feel bad for you, since you're in the same clan as him. At least you don't share a hut, right?"

"Well, actually, we do," Hollypaw said with a sigh. Now that she thought about it, she'd probably have more ignoring to do when she got back home. With Crowpaw nested beside her, she doubted that he'd leave her alone.

"What? You mean he's an apprentice?" Rowanpaw asked with a surprised look. Upon seeing Hollypaw nod, he placed his hand on her shoulder, "In that case, good luck. Anyway, you should probably catch up with your clanmates now. I'll hopefully see you next time. Bye."

He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and then released her, giving Hollypaw a nudge towards her retreating clanmates.

"Bye," Hollypaw said in return, and quickly hurried off. As she ran, she couldn't help but have the same hope. It was the second time in just one day that she was grateful for a Patchpaw's assistance in her life.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: So the plan was put to the test! But the question is: Did it work?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, especially since we've had a three (four?) week hiatus! Sorry about that, btw. Meanwhile, I think I have a weird thing about bringing red-haired boys into the picture. Rowanpaw's kind of like Addertail, but more assertive. (If you don't know who Addertail is, check "** _ **Origin**_ **")**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Crowpaw wears his hair in a style similar to that of Kuroh Yatogami from** _ **"K Project"**_ **. Meanwhile, Hollypaw styles her hair to fall in front of one eye like Tatsuya Himuro from** _ **"Kuroko no Basuke"**_ **(except it's the opposite way).**

 **Btw, that blizzard was HORRIBLE. In one area of my yard, we got two feet of snow with ice beneath it!**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	7. Four: Something Wrong

The following quarter-moon had been pleasant for Hollypaw. She continued ignoring Crowpaw with every ounce of self-control that she had. Occasionally, she had even been forced to bite her tongue 'til it bled, just to keep a retort from escaping. The results were satisfying for the most part. Crowpaw wasn't really the most expressive person, but Hollypaw relished the sight of his cool slipping every time she denied him a response. Yes, it was very satisfying indeed.

Lately, however, she noticed that the raven-head was coming to annoy her less and less.

It wasn't like she was upset by the fact. No, she was actually quite pleased. But it felt strange to not have to contend with the tall teen at least once every hour. The feeling was similar to thinking that something was missing when you already knew where it was. Hollypaw wasn't really sure what to make of it. She especially didn't know what to do when Marshpaw came up to her, looking somewhat troubled.

"Hollypaw, have you noticed anything odd about Crowpaw lately?" she asked. Though her tone was concerned, Marshpaw's red eyes seemed to be inspecting Hollypaw carefully.

Hollypaw felt a smile threaten to curve her lips, but she restrained herself. Marshpaw was far more likeable than her brother, and Hollypaw didn't want to upset her.

"Well, he isn't bothering me as much as usual," she replied, deciding that that was the nicest way to put it. She could have said something that sounded ruder, and was tempted to. Still, this was Marshpaw.

The older girl furrowed her brow, "Is there a reason he's leaving you alone? I mean, he's always been so persistent with you, and now he's…"

"Persistent?" Hollypaw snapped, "The guy's been a pain since day one!"

She hadn't meant to say that. Maybe her frustration had been building up, or maybe she simply hadn't appreciated the way that Marshpaw had described Crowpaw. It was so…gentle. Gentle did not seem like the right way to treat the soldier-in-training. Crowpaw was insufferable, rude, and far too direct. None of those traits were deserving of gentleness. Not in her mind, at least.

Marshpaw didn't appear really upset, but instead fixed her face into a serious expression, "Hollypaw, I'm being serious. Crowpaw hasn't been himself. He's quiet, and he's been distracted…you had to have noticed. He sleeps next to you, for StarClan's sake!"

Hollypaw was a bit taken aback. Marshpaw was known for being very reasonable and laid-back. To hear her voice rise even a little bit was a shock. The look on her face was that of a sister who cared deeply for her brother, not unlike the expression that Hollypaw would wear in the case of her own siblings. She felt her heart pang with empathy, and she sighed.

"No, I haven't been paying much attention to him," Hollypaw said honestly, "But if it's Crowpaw, I'm sure he's fine."

The taller girl stared at Hollypaw for a couple heart-beats before quietly stating, "He's not as bad as you make him out to be. He's just…"

Hollypaw blinked, waiting for her fellow apprentice to finish her sentence. Instead, however, Marshpaw switched topic, "Just tell me if something happens with him, okay?"

With that said, Marshpaw hurried off without bothering to wait for a response. Hollypaw stood there dumbly, watching as Marshpaw left her behind. The girl had acted completely out of character, which was disturbing enough. But she had shed some light on Crowpaw's current state. Hollypaw had honestly had no idea that he was acting off. Then again, she had been consciously blocking him off for the past quarter-moon. There was no way that that could have affected him that much, right?

Right.

Hollypaw nodded to herself and set to walking. Knowing Crowpaw, he was more than likely just finding a new way to slack off by acting distracted. As for the quietness, he wasn't the type to talk without intent, so that wasn't necessarily unusual. So in short, nothing was wrong with the long-haired boy.

Feeling satisfied with her reasoning, Hollypaw sat in her usual place beside Whisperpaw and prepared to start weaving. Not that she was very good at it, but she was better with weaving than cooking.

Whisperpaw looked up at her, pausing her hand motions, "Hollypaw, you're a little late. Lucky for you, Raindrop's leading the circle today and isn't fussy about stuff like that. Why are you late?"

"Hello to you, too," Hollypaw said in a half-joking manner, "I had a chat with Marshpaw while I was coming back from the forest."

"Oh? What did she say?" Whisperpaw inquired, genuinely interested. The young apprentice was always easy to catch the interest of, be it because of her age or mindset.

Hollypaw shrugged, "Just something about Crowpaw. She said that he was acting weird, but I'm sure he's just being his usual lazy self."

"What? Hollypaw, you mean you haven't noticed?" the younger girl questioned, appear surprised.

"Oh, not you too," Hollypaw groaned. With Marshpaw, she could appreciate that the girl was just unnecessarily concerned, but Whisperpaw was another story. The girl always chose to see good even if it was someone like Crowpaw, despite Hollypaw assuring her that the boy was not at all good. But another thing was that Whisperpaw could be stubborn and wouldn't let subjects like this go.

Whisperpaw turned her body towards Hollypaw, "Crowpaw's been thinking a lot, you know. He doesn't say anything, but you can see it on his face."

Hollypaw sighed, "Alright, he's thinking. So what?"

"Well, it's just a little unusual. I don't think Crowpaw is the kind of guy who thinks very hard," Whisperpaw said. She then realized how that sounded and added, "Not to say that he's dumb, I mean that he just kind of does whatever most of the time."

"Whisperpaw, I'm mostly certain that whatever Crowpaw's doing that's so "unusual" is just him being weird. And that, might I add, is completely usual for him," Hollypaw stated matter-of-factly.

Her friend shook her head and went back to weaving, "I swear, Hollypaw, some things never get into your head, huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hollypaw questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, Sandpaw did say that you have a thick skull," Whisperpaw replied. Hearing this, Hollypaw made a mental note to have a chat with her brother later on. Sandpaw put too many rude thoughts in Whisperpaw's head. Whether he intended to do so or not was debatable.

Hollypaw flicked her tail to show her irritation, "Sandpaw, eh?"

"Don't go clawing his tail off," Whisperpaw said as if she'd read Hollypaw's thoughts, "He's not wrong, you know. You're really stubborn sometimes, especially when it comes to Crowpaw."

"That so?" Hollypaw asked with a slight pout that she wasn't even aware of.

Whisperpaw nodded, slipping a reed's stem in place simultaneously, "Mm-hm. Get rid of that look, Hollypaw, I'm not saying that it's bad. Well, not all the time. I mean, there are some moments when you're _too_ stubborn like now, but usually it isn't that bad, and—"

"Whisperpaw," Hollypaw said, cutting into her friend's rambling.

"Yes?" Whisperpaw responded, looking at her. Hollypaw bore a vacant smile that was more than likely laced with tiny threats.

"You're not making it better."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Hey, guys! I'm sorry that this chapter is smaller than you may have hoped for, but this is just a filler. The next chapter will hopefully be longer (I always aim for 2k).**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Hollypaw is the youngest main character in any part of the** _ **Blurred**_ **series. Moonpetal was 15, and Briarsong is currently 18.**

 **Happy Belated Valentine's Day!**

 **\- Tina**


	8. Five: Follow Him

**WARNING:** **Sexual acts.**

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Another few days passed. In that time, Hollypaw became more aware of Crowpaw and his actions. Rather than being his usual annoying self; which included snide remarks towards others, lazing around, and being an asshole in general, he was acting…off. Hollypaw watched as the older teen secluded himself from the other apprentices during meals, opting to eat with the adults. He would carry out duties within camp without any hesitation, and then he'd disappear as soon as he was finished.

At first, Hollypaw had been convinced that Crowpaw was just finding a new way to avoid more chores, but simply vanishing wasn't the young man's style. No, Crowpaw liked to ease out of duties with a few words and a cocky smirk, wearing down Ratfang until the man got too irritated to deal with him any longer and dismissed the teen. Hollypaw was honestly surprised that she had picked up on that aspect of Crowpaw.

However, as the days passed, Hollypaw realized that Crowpaw really _was_ acting unusual. Had Marshpaw and Whisperpaw been right? Of course they were. Hollypaw was seeing it for herself now, although she was a little late.

As she swallowed down the last bits of her night-meal, she watched through narrowed eyes as Crowpaw slipped into the darkness once more. The teen's long, black hair seemed to become one with the shadows, along with his fur. Hollypaw pricked her ears, noticing that he was barely making a sound as he briskly vanished.

Without taking her eyes off of the place where Crowpaw had disappeared, Hollypaw nudged Patchpaw, effectively surprising her brother and causing him to drop his food.

"Hey!" Patchpaw exclaimed, giving Hollypaw a look that clearly asked why she'd done that.

Hollypaw hushed him and made a motion towards where Crowpaw once was, "Did you see that?"

"What? You knocking my food out of my hands? 'Cause I sure saw that!" Patchpaw grumbled. He was known for taking meals very seriously. However, whether it was out of respect for their deceased prey or simply the desire to eat was unknown.

"No," Hollypaw snapped as she swatted him, "Crowpaw went off on his own again."

Patchpaw quirked his brow, "So? Crowpaw does whatever he wants, you of all nekos know that. Hold on, are you worried or something?"

"What?! No! It's just," Hollypaw said, choosing to ignore her brother's 'mhm', "Where does he keep going? What if he's breaking the code or something?"

With a sigh, Patchpaw spoke, "Holly, do you really think that guy would go through the trouble of breaking the code? Besides, what could he possibly do? Crowpaw isn't really the type to do stuff like that either, which I'm sure you know. You know what I do think, though? I think you're worried. Like, really worried."

"I'm not fucking worried!" Hollypaw hissed, fighting herself to keep her voice down. Their mother, Darkcloud, was nearby with the other adults, and she hated hearing curses. Especially curses coming from her own kits.

She continued, "I just want to know what that asshole is up to. I mean, he has to be doing something bad if he's being so secretive, right?"

"Holly, if you're so worried, why don't you go after him?" Patchpaw suggested, poking at his now dirt-covered meal absently. Hollypaw decided to ignore the worried part of her brother's sentence, now watching him. Why did he suddenly sound exasperated? Normally, Patchpaw was the easy-going balance between Hollypaw's fury and Sandpaw's indifference. What was with him?

Whatever it was, it'd have to wait. It wasn't like Hollypaw hadn't thought of following Crowpaw, but she was reluctant to admit a small fear of hers that could come true. What if Crowpaw really was up to something awful? Then what?

A smooth, somewhat-deep voice broke through her thoughts, "Don't play with your food."

Hollypaw looked up and blinked at Ripplespot, whom loomed over both her and Patchpaw. His blue eyes were locked on her brother, and Hollypaw noticed that those eyes of his were different. Ripplespot was a generally serious man, which balanced nicely with Patchpaw's playfulness, but his eyes had always held warmth in them whenever he looked at his partner. Now, however, Ripplespot's midnight-blue eyes were hard. Not necessarily cold, but they certainly lacked the typical love that filled them when Patchpaw came into sight.

Patchpaw didn't bother look up, obviously knowing who it was already, "Why not? It's ruined anyways."

Blinking in surprise, Hollypaw simply turned her gaze between the two males, trying to figure out what was happening. This was so unusual for the pair. Nearly three years ago, she and Sandpaw had entrusted the then newly-made soldier with their brother, whom was sensitive and emotional at the time. Patchpaw was still figuring out who he was back then, trapped between his biological gender and the gender he felt that he belonged to.

Both Hollypaw and Sandpaw had been hesitant to let Ripplespot pursue their troubled brother, especially since the age-gap between them had seemed so much larger back then. But the soldier had been willing to talk to them about it, despite them barely being twelve years old, and it was then that they realized that he had to have only good intentions. And so, Ripplespot gradually worked his way into Patchpaw's life like how a worm worked its way into a tree's thick bark. He helped Patchpaw come to terms with who he was. He defended the apprentice when Hawkglare had called Patchpaw a "defected daughter". Ripplespot had even gone straight to the head-males to convince them into letting Patchpaw take on the duties of a soldier apprentice.

The two had been inseparable ever since, and one was rarely seen without the other in camp. Ripplespot was dedicated to Patchpaw, and Patchpaw was dedicated to Ripplespot. They were a couple that made it through every quarrel, every uncomfortable moment, every hard time. And yet here they were, clearly experiencing some sort of problem in their relationship.

Ripplespot's tail lashed once, "If it's ruined, bury it. You know better than to toy with prey."

"And you know better than to tell me what to do," Patchpaw replied. He finally looked up, giving Ripplespot a bitter smile, "I'm not a listener, Ripplespot."

Hollypaw held back a gasp. Patchpaw rarely called his partner by his actual name. Usually, he'd say "Spotty" or "Rip". The only times he said the soldier's given name was when they had their more serious quarrels or the situation was grave. Suddenly, she felt almost as if she weren't supposed to be there, and wandered whether she should sneak away or not.

 _But I can't leave him_ , she thought. Despite there being plenty of their clanmates around, none of them were really paying any attention to the trio, and wouldn't be able to react fast enough if one attacked the other. Not that she really believed that Patchpaw would want to challenge Ripplespot, or that the latter would ever dare to harm the younger male.

Still, there was a chance.

Ripplespot's eyes narrowed and he turned away without responding to Patchpaw's words, setting a good pace as he walked away. Hollypaw turned her attention to her brother once Ripplespot was a good distance away. Patchpaw was still watching his partner's back with an emotion-concealing look on his face. Concern made its way into Hollypaw's blood and she felt her tail bristle with worry. It was rare that the two had a big fight, but they always ended up making amends. The question, however, was when would they make-up this time around? What had they even fought about?

"Crowpaw is back," Patchpaw said after a moment of silence, "You'd better keep an eye on him."

Hearing this, Hollypaw looked around to locate the long-haired teen. Sure enough, Crowpaw was back and he was speaking with his mother, Silverdapple. The broad-shouldered woman seemed uncomfortable, but then again, she was always uncomfortable when her son spoke to her. As to why, no one knew. Hollypaw watched as Crowpaw talked and his mother gave small replies, wishing that she was close enough to hear. However, judging by their positions, she guessed that they were using soft voices anyway.

For the moment, she seemed to forget about Patchpaw's issues and muttered to herself, "What could he be doing?"

Crowpaw didn't really talk to any of his kin aside from Marshpaw. From what Hollypaw had heard from the boy's sister, he hated his father's guts and had always been distant towards his mother. Part of Hollypaw wondered how any son could be that way towards both his parents. Sure, Hawkglare wasn't Sandpaw or Patchpaw's favorite man, but Hollypaw and her brothers always had love for their quiet mother. But Crowpaw was always strange, so Hollypaw dismissed the thoughts.

Once the conversation ended after only about two minutes, Crowpaw stood and promptly walked away. Hollypaw realized in an instant that he was going to pull his disappearing act again, and she found herself getting to her feet. If there was any good time to follow him, it was now. She shooed away the creeping fear that had been in her mind in favor of powerful curiosity. Then she remembered Patchpaw and turned to look at her brother. He was still absently poking at his long-cold food.

"Patchpaw, I'm heading out, okay?" Hollypaw said, "Could you tell everyone that I just went for a walk?"

Patchpaw glanced up at her, "Sure."

Noticing the lack of life in his tone, Hollypaw made a mental note to check up on her brother at a later time. For now, she had to focus on tracking that tongue-clicker. So off she went.

It wasn't really hard to sneak passed everyone when her clanmates were growing tired and still chatting amongst each other. The only time she felt as if she'd be caught was when she had to pass Whisperpaw's line of vision. However, the blonde girl seemed completely immersed in a conversation with Sandpaw, whom she was partners with. Nevertheless, Hollypaw silently thanked her brother for serving as an unknowing distraction, and she quickly slipped out where Crowpaw had.

The soft, pine needle-covered ground made for easy quietness, and Hollypaw now understood why she could barely hear Crowpaw. The needles were especially soft now that it had rained the day before. Hollypaw could still hear the chatter of her clanmates behind her, but she tried to focus on the sound of Crowpaw's movements. The male seemed to be about eight or nine feet in front of her, so she pricked her ears to attention and listened intently for the sound of undergrowth being brushed aside and the soft squish of moist ground underfoot.

When the sounds stopped, Hollypaw did as well. She crouched down, grateful for the shadows concealing her black hair in the bushes. She remembered a brief lesson from her father and made sure to hide her ears and tail, hoping to avoid any light-reflection from the moon on her white splotches. As quietly as possible, Hollypaw crept a bit forward, trying to make as little noise as she could while brushing aside leaves and branches.

Crowpaw was in the presence of a strawberry-blonde female, one whom Hollypaw immediately recognized as Freckleshine. Hollypaw wondered what the two were doing out alone, and when Freckleshine had left camp.

"Alright, Crowpaw, shall we start with tonight's lesson?" Freckleshine asked in her usual honey-sweet tone.

The teen swished his tail, causing Hollypaw to lean away as he brushed against the bush she was hiding in. He replied, "I want to know about the breasts some more. Mother told me they're sensitive."

Freckleshine's green eyes widened in pleasant surprise, "You asked Silverdapple? My, my, it seems you're bolder than I thought!"

"It's not like Marshpaw would give a good answer," Crowpaw said testily, "Anyways, let's start already."

Hollypaw wondered what the two could be meaning, and what Crowpaw could possibly want to know about women's chests. She had to stop herself from gasping as Freckleshine removed her chest-covering with no hesitation whatsoever. The lover likely felt no discomfort since the late green-leaf air was still warm, and her breasts bounced slightly as she moved. Hollypaw placed a hand over her mouth in complete shock. What were the two going to do?

Freckleshine beckoned Crowpaw, "Come on, now, get a feel."

The apprentice didn't hesitate, but he didn't rush towards her either. Crowpaw took his time and placed both hands on Freckleshine's breasts. Hollypaw was grateful for the hand she'd put over her mouth, because her gasp would have surely alerted them.

The woman sighed as Crowpaw squeezed and palmed her chest. She then placed her hands over his to stop him and moved so that they were both sitting. The ministrations then continued. Freckleshine whispered something inaudible to Hollypaw, and Crowpaw brushed his thumbs over her now-hardened nipples. Instantly, Freckleshine moaned and said in a louder voice, "More!"

Obediently, Crowpaw continued to feel the woman's breasts whilst stimulating her nipples every-now-and-then. Hollypaw stayed frozen in place, unsure of how she felt about what she was witnessing. Should she even be watching them anymore? They weren't really doing anything against the code, so why stick around?

Freckleshine threw her head back when Crowpaw leaned down and placed his mouth over one of her nipples. She placed her right hand on the back of his head and panted, "Deviant, are we?"

Crowpaw didn't respond.

Hollypaw's ears twitched as she detected an odd, wet sound. It didn't sound like footsteps on moist earth, and she searched with her eyes to find the source. Then she noticed that Freckleshine's left hand had snaked in her remaining covering and the woman was making frantic movements. With another twitch of her ears, Hollypaw realized that the sound she was hearing was in sync with Freckleshine's movements. Her ice-blue eyes widened, and she wondered what the woman could possibly be doing down there.

At that moment, Crowpaw pulled away with a harsh smacking sound, and Hollypaw saw that the area he'd been sucking was bright red. He then turned his attention to the other nipple, and Freckleshine moaned again, "Aah~…keep going! I'm almost there~!"

Crowpaw pulled his mouth away, but his tongue stayed in contact with Freckleshine's nipple. He circled the hardened bud a few times before flicking it, earning different reactions from the lover. Then, he bit down.

"Oh, yes! Yes! Yes!" Freckleshine cried, suddenly begin to tremble, her face red and flushed.

That seemed to be the last straw for Hollypaw, and she found herself quietly backing away from the two, using Freckleshine's loud moans and cries as cover for any sounds she made in her retreat. Once she was far enough away, Hollypaw stood and rushed back to camp as quickly as possible. She wasn't even sure about what had upset her so much. The whole scene had just seemed so…wrong.

She knew about sex for the most part. The lovers had sat her down along with Whisperpaw to explain how kits were created and born. However, the lovers did not go into depth. They certainly never said anything about…whatever Crowpaw had been doing to Freckleshine. But they had listed the "special areas", or places where touching could lead to sex. The breasts had been one of those areas.

Hollypaw was back in camp before she knew it, and saw that most of her clanmates had retired to their huts for the night. Cobrastrike, whom was likely on guard duty, looked up when Hollypaw came crashing through the undergrowth.

"Hollypaw? What were you doing out there?" the man asked. He then noticed her face and asked, "Are you alright? Should I get Brightsky?"

Shaking her head, Hollypaw replied, "No, I'm fine. I was just taking a walk and…I saw a snake."

Cobrastrike's eyes widened, "A snake?"

"It was one of the harmless ones," Hollypaw quickly said, not wanting to cause a panic over poisonous snakes, "It just scared me, that's all."

Hearing this, the soldier relaxed, "Alright then. You should get to the apprentices hut, though. I think your brothers will be worried."

Hollypaw nodded and gave him a half-hearted smile, "Okay. Goodnight, Cobrastrike."

"Goodnight, Hollypaw."

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 **A/N: There you go, lovelies. Just as I promised, a longer chapter! Remember to tell me what you think about this chapter in the review box. Every review motivates me to continue!**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Freckleshine was a rogue up until 6 years prior to** _ **"Path"**_ **.**

 **Happy Easter, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	9. Six: His Mind

**ATTENTION:** **This is in Crowpaw's POV!**

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As Freckleshine finally went limp, Crowpaw removed his mouth from her breast, shifting so that there was a bit of distance between them. He watched as the woman enjoyed the aftermath of her orgasm, silently taking note of how long it took. This "lesson", as they chose to call it, had been a success for the most part. Crowpaw had figured he'd get a good response from the promiscuous lover, but he hadn't expected her to climax from his ministrations.

He glanced down, noticing that Freckleshine had been touching herself throughout the lesson. So that was it. Crowpaw quickly made a mental note to try out simultaneously pleasuring the woman's breasts and cunt sometime in the future. It could come in handy later on.

Freckleshine seemed to get over the waves of pleasure and leaned up with a smile on her face. Crowpaw met her vibrant, green eyes with an indifferent stare.

"Huh? What's wrong, Crowpaw? Did you want something, too?" Freckleshine asked in a sweet voice, clearly mocking sympathy. Her smile became less pleased and more sultry, "I can help with that, you know."

The woman reached out to him. Crowpaw didn't have time to figure out what her intentions were until he felt her cupping his front with her hand. Freckleshine gave it a light rub, but Crowpaw only responded by slapping her hand away.

Freckleshine brought her hand to her chest, her face displaying mock hurt, "Crowpaw, don't you know it's rude to strike a beautiful woman? Besides, it must hurt to not get _any_ pleasure out of our lessons!"

Crowpaw fixed her with a red glare, "You and I both agreed to the terms I set. One of them was no touching me. I'm doing this so that I can be prepared, not for pleasure."

"'Prepared', he says!" Freckleshine exclaimed, "Who's to say that little vixen of yours will ever let you touch her? By the looks of it, she hates your entire existence!"

"She doesn't hate me," Crowpaw replied smoothly. In response, he got a scoff from the former rogue.

"Doesn't hate you? Crowpaw, you're a smart boy, everyone knows that. But perhaps you're beginning to lose it somehow?" she suggested, giving him a once-over.

Crowpaw clicked his tongue, a habit he'd developed over time, "If she hated me, she'd have done something by now. She would've informed someone that I'm bothering her and I would have been dealt with. No, she doesn't hate me."

"Well hasn't she been ignoring you lately? That's what drove you to me, right?" Freckleshine asked knowingly.

"Yes," Crowpaw said, his tone bitter as he absorbed the woman's words. He remembered when he first started being ignored, which was the day of the last Gathering. That had been bad enough, but then when he sought Hollypaw out that night, he found her chatting up a red-headed HeartClanner, Rowanpaw was his name. He'd intended to simply watch them, but he couldn't help but intervene when Hollypaw had touched the boy's arm so damn sweetly. It was as if Crowpaw had lost all of his natural control as he sauntered up to the duo.

Then, the red-head had challenged him. Crowpaw's new plan had been to drive Hollypaw away from Rowanpaw by infuriating her and causing her to lash out at him, thus taking her away from the HeartClanner's side. But he hadn't expected Rowanpaw to be so bold, which caused his plan to backfire. And the guy had even had the gall to call Hollypaw "beautiful". He could still remember the HeartClan apprentice's words.

" _Hollypaw's quite beautiful, in case you never noticed."_

Never noticed? How could Crowpaw not notice how beautiful Hollypaw was? She had the loveliest black hair that was soft to the touch, as he'd learned while the girl slept. Her face was flawless aside from that one mole below her eye that made her stand out among other females. Her eyes resembled the pale dawn sky in new-leaf. She was strong and spirited while awake, but her small fragility showed as she slept, curled up with her lips slightly parted as she dreamed.

But then, her outwards appearance was only a benefit when compared to her nature. Hollypaw was good-hearted and warm in general, performing small acts of kindness when possible. However, she was also determined, and kept trying to better herself at her duties despite years of mistakes. She was shy when it came to certain subjects, like sex. Marshpaw had told Crowpaw about how Hollypaw had blushed and covered her face while the lovers gave her and Whisperpaw "the talk".

That wasn't all, either. She was fierce and strong, too. Crowpaw loved her because of that fierceness, and he did everything he could to see it again and again; to keep that fire inside of Hollypaw burning. It was her spirit, yes that's what it was, that had made Crowpaw decide that she'd be his. He absolutely loved her spirit. He loved _her_.

"Heh, you are a persistent boy, aren't you?" Freckleshine commented, breaking through Crowpaw's thoughts, "Or maybe you're just foolish?"

"Tsk, maybe both," Crowpaw replied with a shrug. He looked up, seeking out the sky through needle-covered branches. The sky was a dark, blackish-blue, with stars scattered throughout that endless void. The moon was directly above him, a single claw hanging in the night. Crowpaw blinked, figuring that it was time to head back to camp. He had little doubt that anyone would be awake aside from the guard.

Wordlessly, Crowpaw got to his feet, brushing away any clinging pine needles and other debris. Upon seeing Freckleshine's questioning gaze, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to inform her.

"I'm going back," he stated. He then proceeded to walk away, not bothering to wait for a response. Freckleshine was a grown woman and could make her own decisions as to whether she wanted to return yet or not, and it wasn't like she could get lost.

The walk back wasn't strenuous in anyway. After all, he hadn't gone too far from camp, just far enough to avoid letting anyone hear his and Freckleshine's activities. Any prey that happened to still be rustling about quickly went quiet when Crowpaw passed, not that he cared. He wasn't hunting anyways. However, something did make him pause.

Crowpaw sniffed, swearing that there was a _very_ recognizable scent around him. He took a step back, and realized that the smell was stronger close to a nearby tree. Leaning towards the tree, he sniffed and disregarded the normal scent of pine, dirt, rain, and squirrels. His ears perked as he realized exactly who it was.

So Hollypaw had finally caught on, huh? Crowpaw could only assume that she'd brushed the tree either while following him or on her way back to camp. As he inspected the bark, however, he noticed the shine of moonlight on liquid, and saw that said liquid was as red as his own eyes. Blood.

Clicking his tongue, Crowpaw tore his attention away from the tree and continued on his way towards camp. Within only a couple more minutes, the central of LoveClan territory came into sight. As he figured, no one was still out aside from Cobrastrike, whom immediately turned to him as Crowpaw entered camp.

The guard blinked, "Huh? Crowpaw, you were out, too? Jeez, what's with you apprentices and being out so late?"

"Someone else was late?" Crowpaw asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Hollypaw got herself scared by a snake out there," Cobrastrike informed him absentmindedly.

Crowpaw looked at the apprentices hut, "Is that so?"

He turned, making his way towards the hut, paying no attention to Cobrastrike's response, if he made any at all. There was a chance that Hollypaw had gone to Brightsky to have her wound inspected, so he wanted to already be settled by time she got back. Perhaps she'd have something to say to him, now that she knew about the lessons.

Originally, Crowpaw had intended to keep quiet about his and Freckleshine's unconventional relationship, at least until he was sure that Hollypaw was going to continue ignoring him. But the sudden shift in plans might actually work for him. After all, he knew Hollypaw well enough to know that she couldn't keep her mouth shut about something so important—at least in her mind. So maybe he'd be able to get her attention back without going as far as he thought he'd have to.

Upon entering, he faintly acknowledged his sleeping denmates. Sandpaw had an arm thrown over Whisperpaw, loosely holding her while the girl mumbled incoherently in her sleep. Patchpaw was lightly snoring in his corner, his tail twitching every-now-and-then. Marshpaw and Mudpaw where pressed against each other, with Marshpaw's head resting on the younger apprentice's chest and one of her legs laid over Mudpaw's. As Crowpaw stepped inside the hut, he vaguely noticed his sister's eyes open slightly to reveal slivers of red.

He ignored her, however, being much more interested in the girl lying in the nest beside his. Hollypaw was curled in her usual tight ball, her knees brought up to her chest and her black hair spayed out messily. Crowpaw guessed that she had only just fallen asleep, as she couldn't have arrived in camp very long ago. He saw a cut on her shoulder and sighed, stepping over Sandpaw's legs to get to his own nest and plopping down in it.

Reaching out, Crowpaw took hold of Hollypaw's arm and looked over her cut. He wasn't a medicine holder by any means, but he could see that it was nothing to worry about. The cut was only about the length of the average caterpillar, and didn't seem to be deep at all. The blood was still fresh, but he supposed that it would be scabbed over by morning. Still, he'd heard Frostpaw saw that even small abrasions needed some type of care.

He shrugged and leaned forward, licking over the wound. He did this a few times, making sure that he'd gotten all the still-fresh blood. There wasn't much, and the taste was both metallic and slightly salty. Crowpaw wrinkled his nose, quickly deciding that he didn't like it. But he was fine with doing it so long as it was Hollypaw. The girl had shuddered as Crowpaw licked her cut, but she was now settled again and Crowpaw released her arm.

"Crowpaw," a familiar voice called.

Flicking his tail, Crowpaw turned his head and eyed his sister lazily. Marshpaw had turned her body a bit, just enough so that she could face him without leaving Mudpaw's side. She looked sleepy, yet still aware.

"I'm not sure about what you're doing," Marshpaw said, "But you should hurry and finish it."

"Oh?" Crowpaw responded. He figured his sister knew that he was doing something, and guessed that she didn't like being uninformed. However, if this plan was going to work, he needed as little nekos knowing as possible. It was obvious that he'd have to continue on the same track since Hollypaw wasn't able to speak to him in her sleeping state.

Marshpaw gave him a look, "Our birthday is in a week, Crowpaw. Afterwards, you and I will be much busier as adults. So whatever your plan is, I suggest you get a move on with it."

Crowpaw wasn't too concerned. He could very well continue as he was even if things got busier for him. He simply replied with, "I hear you."

Seemingly satisfied, Marshpaw turned back over, earning a quiet mumble from Mudpaw as she settled her head back on his chest. Crowpaw presumed that the two were close now, and had likely been getting close over time without him ever really paying much attention. He turned away, figuring that time would tell whether the two would be mates or not one day. Ending the thoughts there, Crowpaw got onto his side, making sure that he was able to see Hollypaw's face perfectly.

Her lips were parted a bit, the corners moving slightly, meaning that the girl had finally slipped into a deeper sleep. Fondly, Crowpaw reached out and brushed some of her hair away from her cheek.

Perfect.

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 **A/N: Okay, so there's the next chapter. I know that the switch in POVs may have surprised some of you, but I hope it was a good surprise! Now, this won't be a constant thing like in** _ **"Origin"**_ **, but I just wanted to give a little peek into Crowpaw's mind for now. We'll be back to Hollypaw in the next update.**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Crowpaw is regarded as the "do-what-I-want, devilish type".**

 **Happy Easter, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	10. Seven: The Conflict

Hollypaw wasn't quite sure about what to do after having witnessed the kind of things that went on between Crowpaw and Freckleshine. Two days had passed, and she was still left without an inkling of what to do. She couldn't really tell the head-males, since Crowpaw hadn't actually broken the code. And she certainly couldn't confront the older apprentice about his actions, not without having to confess that she'd been spying. With no ideas about how to handle what she'd seen, Hollypaw decided to remain silent.

She was still ignoring Crowpaw, and with a greater reason this time. But it was much harder now. Following the incident, the black-haired male had become far more open with his apparent relationship with Freckleshine. They sat together during meals, and Hollypaw had seen them grooming each other on more than one occasion. Oddly enough, she always felt a stirring in her belly whenever she happened to spot them together, and she didn't like the feeling one bit.

"Hollypaw, are you alright?"

Hearing her friend's voice, Hollypaw looked at Whisperpaw and said, "I'm fine."

Whisperpaw, with an unconvinced look in her blue eyes, pointed at Hollypaw's tail, "Your tail is lashing."

Immediately, Hollypaw noticed that movements and stopped herself, although the black tip of her tail continued to twitch in a display of irritation. Why couldn't she be like her mother or Sandpaw, both of whom could control their actions easily, even when angered?

"It's about Crowpaw, right? I saw you glaring when Freckleshine was feeding him," Whisperpaw stated. She'd continued talking even as she bent down, searching the undergrowth for the herbs that Brightsky desired.

Frostpaw had a migraine, and was therefore unable to do much aside from groan in misery. Therefore, Brightsky had requested that some of the lovers go out and get the herbs he needed for his store, as he needed to tend to his apprentice. Hollypaw and Whisperpaw had been chosen, along with a couple older women. Two soldiers had come along as well, in case any trouble arose while the females worked. One of them, Volefoot, and dragged his apprentice and Hollypaw's brother, Patchpaw, along with him.

Hollypaw kneeled down, trying to continue her own searching as she replied to Whisperpaw, "I wasn't glaring. Trying not to throw-up is what I was doing."

"That isn't an answer," Whisperpaw said, pulling some marigolds from the ground.

"Well, the answer is obvious, isn't it?" Hollypaw asked testily.

Her friend nodded before saying, "Yes. You're totally stuck on him."

As soon as Whisperpaw had said this, Hollypaw stood up and said in a louder-than-necessary voice, "I am not! Crowpaw can jump off a mountain for all I care!"

Her outburst caught the attention of those nearby, one of them being Crowpaw's mother, Silverdapple. Noticing the eyes on her, Hollypaw covered her mouth with her hand, feeling her face go red. She hadn't meant to be so loud, and she certainly hadn't meant for Silverdapple to hear her say such a thing about her kit. Unlike Crowpaw, Silverdapple was quite likeable. She was brazen, not caring about what others had to say about her opinions and choices, and that made her quite admiring in a clan full of certain expectations.

But to her surprise, Silverdapple calmly said, "I have to agree with you to a point, Hollypaw. Crowpaw makes his own choices, and will have to deal with the consequences. With him going after a woman like Freckleshine, anyone can tell where his judgment comes from. StarClan knows we'd all hate to see another Scorchfire on the rise."

Hollypaw blinked in surprise. The older woman seemed to have very little concern for her son and what he was doing. It was even more shocking by how she'd plainly compared him to his father, Scorchfire, whom was known to have mad very poor decisions in the past. The other senior lover, Vixenskip, didn't seem to be fazed by Silverdapple's words in the least. Both Hollypaw and Whisperpaw, however, stared at the woman with wide eyes.

Silverdapple caught their look and said, "Relax. It's not like I don't care; I'm just waiting to see if he fixes himself or not."

"But what if that's just who he is?" a new voice asked challengingly. Hollypaw shifted her gaze, and saw Patchpaw standing nearby, his arms crossed.

"What do you mean by that?" Silverdapple inquired, not seeming very impressed by the apprentice's question.

Patchpaw came closer to the lovers, "Crowpaw is like that by nature. He doesn't need 'fixing'."

Silverdapple said nothing in response. Her eyes trailed over Patchpaw, as if she were analyzing him. The woman's eyes were known to give a strange, intimidated feel to anyone they were set on, something that Crowpaw undoubtedly inherited from her. But Patchpaw stood perfectly still, standing his ground as Silverdapple looked him over.

"That's an interesting thing for you to say," the woman said after a lengthy silence, "But your issues aren't the same as his. Don't try to relate to him."

With that, the senior lover stood with the herbs she'd collected and moved off to a different area. Hollypaw was speechless, unsure of what had just happened. She looked to her brother, but Patchpaw was walking away as well. His brown tail, speckled with cream, was lashing violently as he trudged off. Seeing the action came as a surprise to Hollypaw. Her brother had been acting very strange ever since Hollypaw had witnessed the tense conversation between him and his partner, Ripplespot. But Patchpaw had never been one to show his anger so openly. Hollypaw wondered why he'd get so passionate about something involving Crowpaw.

From beside her, Hollypaw heard Whisperpaw whisper, "It wasn't about Crowpaw, you know."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hollypaw asked her friend, tilting her head.

"None of that was really about Crowpaw," Whisperpaw stated, using a more audible voice. She continued to pull at the roots of a thick-leaved herb, tugging the tendrils from the earth and covering her pale fingers in the brown soil. As she did so, she spoke, "Haven't you been paying attention? Those two were just using Crowpaw as a way to vent. It's just like Sandpaw said; they have their own problems. We talked about it earlier."

Hollypaw furrowed her brow, and leaned forward to assist her companion by pulling at a difficult root harshly, "What did Sandpaw say?"

"He didn't say much, but he mentioned some of what Silverdapple's gone through," Whisperpaw said as she used her claws to separate some soil from a pulled plant. She continued, "Apparently, she didn't mate with Scorchfire by choice, which was back when he went sort of crazy. Sandpaw thinks that she might be forcing her anger and such towards Crowpaw, because he reminds her of Scorchfire more than Marshpaw. And after _that_ , I think so too."

This new detail was another surprise. Hollypaw was good enough friends with Marshpaw that she knew a lot about her, but she never knew all that much about her parents. Since before Hollypaw was born, Scorchfire kept to himself for the most part and Silverdapple was her usual, blunt and bold self. She'd never bothered to dig deeper into their lives. So the idea of Scorchfire somehow getting the woman to mate with him against her will was hard to fathom. But she'd been in the nursery when Marshpaw and Crowpaw were, and she'd come to see their mother's behavior towards them as normal. Marshpaw would be treated as any other kit would, but Silverdapple sometimes forgot to feed Crowpaw. She would accidentally drop him while tending to Marshpaw, and displayed various other signs of negligence towards him.

With the new information, Hollypaw found herself wondering whether all those incidents were truly accidents or not.

"We talked about Patchpaw and Ripplespot, too," Whisperpaw said, inspecting the ground for daisies, "You've noticed some tension between them, right?"

Hollypaw nodded, remembering the night she'd gone after Crowpaw, "Definitely."

Her friend continued, "Well, they've had a fight. No one but them knows what it was about, but Ripplespot's gone cold towards Patchpaw. He isn't taking it very well."

"That's obvious," Hollypaw said, "And Patchpaw's kind of the same. He's calling Ripplespot by his name, you know."

"Yeah, and now they've both been forced to come out here. I haven't seen Ripplespot since we got here," Whisperpaw said.

Hollypaw heard this and remembered that what her friend said was true. She hadn't seen or heard the dark-haired man since the group arrived in the area. It made sense for Ripplespot to not be nearby, since Patchpaw had chosen to stay close to the lovers in order to converse with Vixenskip. But now he had stormed off, and Hollypaw had no idea about what would happen if the two encountered each other, especially with Patchpaw being so emotional at the moment.

Whisperpaw sighed, "I think we're done."

After a quick look at what they'd collected, Hollypaw turned and said to Vixenskip, "Are you ready?"

The older female nodded and stood, holding a good amount of feverfew and various other herbs. She started in the direction that Silverdapple had gone in, "Come on, you two. Silverdapple and Volefoot are this way. We can meet up with them and return to camp."

"Wait, what about Patchpaw and Ripplespot?" Hollypaw asked automatically, remembering the two males. She couldn't help the feeling of concern that came over her when she thought about leaving her brother so close to HeartClan.

Vixenskip replied calmly, "They're big boys. They can surely find their own way back."

Although Hollypaw was sure that Vixenskip had said that as a form of reassurance, she couldn't help the feeling of wrongness that filled her gut. Still, she decided that it was best to listen and head back home. There had been enough conflict already, and she didn't want to risk the older woman's patience. Together, she and Whisperpaw stood and they both followed Vixenskip.

* * *

It didn't take too long to get back to camp, likely a half-hour at the most. The sun had begun to set and Hollypaw and Whisperpaw were greeted by Sandpaw after delivering the herbs to Brightsky.

"You were gone for a long time," the boy said, taking Whisperpaw's hand and bringing her to his side.

"The undergrowth is really lush this season," Hollypaw explained, "So it was harder to find some of the herbs."

Sandpaw hummed in acknowledgement, pushing a strand of blonde hair behind Whisperpaw's left ear. He then looked at Hollypaw and asked, "Where's Patchpaw? Didn't he go with you?"

Biting her lip, Hollypaw replied, "He got mad and stormed off."

"Stormed off? Patchpaw?" Sandpaw questioned incredulously. Then, after seeming to remember something, he asked, "And Ripplespot's still out there with him?"

"Yeah," Hollypaw answered. She saw the look on Sandpaw's face, and added, "I don't know if they're together or not."

Whisperpaw offered her own bit to the conversation, "You know, I thought about it, and I think it could be good for them. They need to make up, so a little privacy might help."

"Maybe," Sandpaw said. His eyes showed that he didn't believe it, however. Seeing the doubt on her brother's face, Hollypaw wondered just how much Sandpaw knew about the conflict between Patchpaw and Ripplespot.

It seemed that Whisperpaw detected the uncertainty in her partner's voice and quickly said, "Don't be so doubtful! Those two always make up."

Sandpaw sighed, but didn't bother to create an argument with Whisperpaw. His passiveness was one of the teen's key traits, and one that Hollypaw sometimes wish she had. A flash of black caught Hollypaw's eye as she thought this, and she looked up to see her mother rushing passed her. Confused, Hollypaw turned and saw that Darkcloud was approaching Ripplespot, whom had just come into camp.

The two were close enough for Hollypaw to hear them, and she clearly heard her mother say, "Where's Patchpaw? Volefoot said he would be with you."

"Well, he's not," Ripplespot replied coolly, "If you want to look for him, he went towards the northern HeartClan border."

"There? Why?" Darkcloud asked, showing obvious worry and surprise in her voice.

Ripplespot looked visibly irritated as he told her, "StarClan knows why."

After saying this, the man walked passed Darkcloud, leaving the distressed woman on her own as he made his way to the soldiers' hut. Hollypaw watched him go with wide eyes. Such an attitude wasn't normal for Ripplespot, even when he was angry. The feeling of wrongness came back to Hollypaw, and she had the powerful urge to go into the forest and find her brother. As she decided whether or not she should, her mother came to her.

"Hollypaw, Sandpaw, your brother hasn't come back yet," Darkcloud said, now trying her best to remain calm and collected, "I'm going to talk to the head-males. I-If he comes back while I'm gone, please come and tell me."

As she spoke, Darkcloud wrung her hands worriedly, glancing back towards the camp entrance repeatedly. Her worrying only made the feeling in Hollypaw's gut worsen, and she could feel her tail begin to twitch anxiously. The twitching continued even after her mother walked away.

"Hollypaw..?" she heard Whisperpaw say from behind her, with the obvious question of 'are you okay' in her tone.

"I'm going to look for him," Hollypaw said. Without waiting for a reply, she hurried out of camp.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: There you go, lovelies. I'm trying to get over a bit of writer's block, so forgive me if this chapter was crappy. Just so everyone knows, the story is really about to pick up now.**

 **Fun-fact: Hollypaw is intentionally written as immature and slightly selfish. This is simply because of her age and mindset, and she will be made to mature over time.**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	11. Eight: The News

Sunshine leaked in through the few open spaces of the roof and walls, cascading into the interior of the apprentices' hut. Hollypaw groaned as a soft beam of light met her face, and she begrudgingly opened her eyes, only to squint as she was met by the sun's personal greeting. Wearily, she sat up, blinking her eyes open once more. Immediately, she noticed how the sun had managed to wake her, as she pulled some of her hair from where it was tucked behind her right ear. The hair fell in front of her eye as usual, and Hollypaw absently wondered how it always managed to get pushed behind her ear while she slept.

Suddenly, she was wide-awake. Normally, she woke up before the sun fully rose, yet it was shinning fully. Looking around, she saw that her denmates had already awoken and left the hut. Just what had caused her to wake up so late?

 _'Patchpaw'_ , she remembered.

Hollypaw had come back to camp late last night, as she had stayed out in the forest looking for her brother until well after moon-high. It was her father, Hawkglare, who had eventually come after her. She could remember screaming at him as he'd hoisted her up and laid her belly-down over his shoulder, but she could not recall getting into her nest, or even entering camp for that matter. That meant that she must have fallen asleep as her father carried her.

But it was morning now, and Hollypaw found herself hoping that her brother had returned. Yes, Patchpaw couldn't have stayed angry for so long that he'd still be gone. With great anticipation, she stood and hurried out of the hut, into the open. She was immediately greeted by Whisperpaw's mother, Milkwing, whom had been passing by the apprentices' hut.

"Oh, Hollypaw, you're up," the white-haired woman said, "Did you sleep well? I heard that you didn't come back until after moon-high."

Hollypaw nodded, "Yeah, I did."

She looked around, hoping to spot Patchpaw within the camp, but didn't see her brother anywhere. Of course, that didn't mean that he wasn't in camp. Still hopeful, Hollypaw asked Milkwing, "Has Patchpaw come back yet?"

Milkwing's cheery expression quickly dropped, and she replied in a somber tone, "No, Hollypaw. He hasn't."

"He hasn't? What do you mean 'he hasn't'? Patchpaw couldn't have stayed out all night! He-he doesn't even like sleeping outside of his nest!" Hollypaw stammered, her hopes now crushed. Without waiting for more from Milkwing, she raced across camp, rushing towards Wolfthorn, whom she knew had had guard duty the previous night. The man was having a conversation with his sister, but Hollypaw didn't care if she was going to interrupt. This was a serious matter, after all.

Hollypaw came to a stop in front of thee soldier, effectively surprising both him and Brindlefrost. Without haste, she demanded, "Where is Patchpaw?"

The surprise on Wolfthorn's face quickly wore off, and the expression was replaced with a boyish smile, "Now, little lady, don't you think you're being a bit rude? My sister and I were having a chat, after all."

"I don't care," Hollypaw said snippily, "Where is he? He came back, didn't he?"

Brindlefrost was quick to intervene, having noticed that her brother had become irritated, "Hollypaw, while your concern is reasonable, you have to understand that you can't just—"

"HeartClanners!"

The warning rang throughout camp, having clearly come from Flamewhisker, judging by the voice. The word on its own had caught every present LoveClanner's attention, and both Wolfthorn and Brindlefrost were on alert, quickly forgetting about Hollypaw's questioning. Hollypaw herself was startled into attention, turning around to where Flamewhisker had shouted. The head-males were making their way towards the camp entrance, each having a brisk pace and serious expressions.

Some clanmates were close to the entrance, and Hollypaw was surprised when a few of them began showing clear signs of horror. Willowpelt, one of the lovers near the entrance, began rushing her kits to the nursery in haste. Both Riverkit and Cedarkit glanced backwards several times as their mother hurried them away, clearly asking questions about whatever it was that they saw. A nearby soldier bore an expression of shock, and he backed away in a state of shock.

A feeling of mixed confusion and curiosity filled Hollypaw, and she found herself making her way towards the entrance, wanting to see what was going on.

"What is the meaning of this?" Scorchfire asked in a strangled voice. It was a tone that Hollypaw had never heard from the head-male, and caused a chill to run through her body.

Due to the head-males and other clanmates blocking her view, Hollypaw carefully nudged her way between Wasptail and Lavenderbreeze, aiming to see what the source of attention was. As soon as she saw it, however, she immediately froze up.

Four HeartClan males had entered LoveClan's camp. A very tall, pale-haired man stood at the front, appearing to be the leader of the group. To his left was a shorter man with blue eyes and gray hair, and to his right was a male with darker skin and an anxious look on his face. There was another one behind the leader, but he wasn't clearly visible due to the large man's form and Hollypaw's position.

The pale-haired man replied to Scorchfire, "This one was found on the border. It is right to bring her home."

With that said, the man moved to the side, allowing the boy behind him to step forward. The reactions to his appearance, or rather what he was carrying, were immediate. Some gasped in horror while others turned away, unable to handle the sight. From somewhere to the side, Hollypaw could hear her mother cry out in anguish.

"No! My baby! Not my baby!" Darkcloud sobbed. Hollypaw paid her little mind, however, as she was too busy staring.

Her eyes were wide, and she could feel the color draining from her face. She could sense the fur standing up along her tail, and her heart felt as if it had stopped. She was silent as horror gripped her with its cruel hands, staring and processing what she was seeing.

The boy standing there was Rowanpaw, and in his arms was the naked, limp body of Patchpaw. Her brother's flesh was paler than she'd ever seen it before, and the dark purple bruises that marred his neck in the shape of hand-prints only enhanced the cold look of his corpse. There were other bruises littering his body, and a line of blood coming from his nose was a final compliment to the morbid sight.

Having finally absorbed the knowledge of what had been presented before her; Hollypaw thoughtlessly opened her mouth and screamed in a way that expressed her grief, anger, and horror.

And then everything went black.

* * *

"Hollypaw…Hollypaw…Come on, wake up, Hollypaw…That's it, open your eyes."

With a low whine, Hollypaw opened her eyes, only to be greeted by the sight of Frostpaw leaning over her. The older female gave her a half-hearted smile as she entered the waking world once more.

"There we go. You gave your parents quite a scare, fainting like that," Frostpaw stated, turning away from Hollypaw to grab a bit of lavender, "You were out for a good half-hour. Darkcloud thought that she'd lost another kit."

That last sentence had a hint of sadness to it, and Hollypaw quickly remembered what had happened as the apprentice spoke. Once again, the feeling of sorrow came to Hollypaw.

Patchpaw was dead. Gone forever. And Hollypaw hadn't gotten to say so much as a "goodbye".

"Here, sniff this. If you're anything like your family, then you'll need it," Frostpaw said, holding the lavender to Hollypaw's nose. Obediently, Hollypaw took the purple sprig from the gray-haired girl and began to sniff. A soothing rush came over her, and she was instantly grateful for the little plant.

"Your mother needed three sprigs," Frostpaw commented, "Along with a few poppy seeds. Some rest will do the poor woman well."

Solemnly, Hollypaw asked, "You don't think I could have some, too?"

Frostpaw looked at Hollypaw with a sympathetic, amber gaze, "I'm afraid not. You fainted today, so giving you poppy seeds could harm you for all we know."

"Oh," Hollypaw replied, wishing that she could have some of the sleep-inducing seeds. Maybe she could dream about Patchpaw and not have to deal with the harsh reality that he was dead. That sounded nice.

A sudden thought came to her head, and she asked, "How?"

"How…what?" Frostpaw inquired, one of her eyebrows rising.

"How did he die? You found out, right?" Hollypaw questioned. She was praying that the bruises she'd seen around her brother's neck had been her imagination. Part of her though that they were.

The medicine holder apprentice looked grim as she replied, "Asphyxiation. He…he was strangled, Hollypaw."

A sensation of numbness came over Hollypaw as she heard this. With wide eyes, she said, "Strangled? You mean, strangled—as in murdered?"

A silent nod was Frostpaw's answer. The pretty apprentice's face was overcome with an expression of somberness, her amber gaze staying on the floor of the medicine hut.

"He was murdered? Really murdered?" Hollypaw asked, her voice slowly rising. With newfound anger, she asked, "And whoever did it is still out there?!"

Frostpaw looked up at her, "Well…there's a chance that the killer is here. The head-males are publically judging the HeartClan patrol that brought Patchpaw to u—"

Before the girl could finish, Hollypaw had jumped to her feet and ran out of the hut. Sure enough, she found her clanmates in a large circle, all surrounding the four HeartClan males whom were before the leaders of the Clan. As she neared them, Hollypaw could make out the interrogation.

"Again, she—ah, he smelled of rogue. Rowanpaw said otherwise," the tallest HeartClanner stated calmly.

"According to Brightsky, he reeked of HeartClan. No one smelled any rogue on him," Blackheart said in challenge.

The shorter, gray-haired male snapped, "We carried him here, didn't we? Of course he smells like us!"

"Calm yourself, Jayfrost," the taller man said coolly.

Without hesitation, Hollypaw stepped past two soldiers and marched up to the only one of the HeartClanners that she was familiar with. She shoved her face into that of Rowanpaw's not caring that she had to stand on her toes in order to do so. For now, she simply wasn't in a state where she'd care about their height-difference.

Rowanpaw, thoroughly surprised, stammered out, "H-Hollypaw, what are you—"

"Who killed Patchpaw? You know, don't you?" Hollypaw questioned loudly. Had she been thinking rationally, she probably would have waited until there was a more private moment to start asking questions, but she wasn't. All she could think of was finding out who in the world thought they had the right to kill her brother.

Clearly, her interruption was not welcome, as Raccoonclaw irritably said, "Hollypaw, return to the medicine hut!"

"No!" Hollypaw hissed, turning to her Clan's leaders, "I want to know who killed my brother!"

"That's what we're trying to find out!" Scorchfire snapped in response, his red eyes glinting with danger.

At this point, the dark-skinned HeartClanner spoke up, "At least she isn't trying to blame us. We didn't lay a hand on the kid."

"How do we know that for sure?" Scorchfire asked. His ears were now lying flat, and his tail was bristling as a warning sign.

One of the kit-bearers, Ravenheart, stood up, "Why would they bring Patchpaw to us if they killed him? Besides, Brightsky said that there was blood under Patchpaw's claws from defense, but not one of them has a single scratch."

Despite having never thought of the HeartClanners as possible murderers, Hollypaw couldn't help but give each one a quick once-over. As Ravenheart had pointed out, none of them bore marks of Patchpaw's attempts to fight. So that meant that the killer was definitely still out there somewhere, continuing life as usual without punishment for what he or she had done.

Sounding reluctant, Blackheart said, "Ravenheart is right. Anyways, I don't think any of them would do something this heinous. Only a rogue would commit such a murder."

"And," the head-male continued, "I know a couple of these men well enough. Stormheart wouldn't allow an apprentice to be harmed, and Mudfeather is against killing anyone weaker than him. As for the younger ones, I can't say as much, but Stormheart and Mudfeather would have stopped them if they tried something like this."

Blackheart looked at Ravenheart and then at Sweetheart, both of whom were former members of HeartClan, "Isn't that right?"

Sweetheart nodded, and Ravenheart answered, "Yes."

With a long, drawn-out sigh and a hand running through his brownish-gray hair, Raccoonclaw said, "Well then, we all know that Blackheart isn't one to tell untruths. So…that means that we have no reason to hold you four here. Right, Scorchfire?"

A low growl came in response, showing Scorchfire's clear dislike for the conclusion, but the man made no attempt to disagree.

"I assume your leader doesn't know that you're here?" Raccoonclaw questioned, looking at the tallest male, whom Hollypaw assumed was Stormheart.

The man nodded, "We would not waste time asking. Chance of scavengers was too great. We will be scolded."

"And rightfully so," Raccoonclaw grumbled. But in a calmer tone, he continued, "However, a 'thank-you' is in order. You did bring back our apprentice, after all. So thank-you. Also, we're sorry for holding you."

"You are not without reason. We'll leave now. A mate and newborn kits wait for me," Stormheart said. He then turned to his clanmates and made a signal for their leave. As he began to walk, the large man looked down at Hollypaw, and with a look of sympathy, he grasped her shoulder and squeezed before continuing out of the camp.

Hollypaw stood stationary, slowly processing what had just happened. The HeartClanners were being dismissed from LoveClan's territory, and without being much help in finding out who the murderer was. Angrily, she ran after them, grabbing onto Rowanpaw's arm just before he reached the camp entrance.

"You can't leave yet, you need to tell me what happened!" she hissed desperately. All she got was a sorry look.

"Hollypaw," Rowanpaw said in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what happened. None of us do. We were just making our usual rounds when we found your brother on the border."

Digging her claws into the boy's arm, Hollypaw asked, "So, you didn't see anything? You didn't hear anything?"

"No. Jayfrost said that it must have happened last night," the red-haired male told her. Rowanpaw gave her a saddened look, "Listen, he was my friend, so don't think I don't care. But I can't—no, I think I can."

"You can, what?" Hollypaw demanded.

"I can help you. Or at least help as much as possible," Rowanpaw said, "Two nights from now, meet me on the border, right before the split in the thunderpath."

"And then what?"

"You'll see."

"Rowanpaw!" one of the older HeartClan males called, now standing several fox-lengths away. Hearing them, Rowanpaw gave Hollypaw a quick reassuring nod before tugging out of her hold and hurried after his clanmates.

Wanting to know more about Rowanpaw's plan, Hollypaw began to rush after him once more, only to be stopped by Raccoonclaw's call, "Hollypaw!"

"Yes?" she replied, turning around reluctantly. Most of her clanmates had dispersed, and the head-male was walking towards her.

In a stern voice, he said, "We will discuss your disobedience later. As of now, you are to return to the medicine hut. Stress is not good for someone who has fainted."

"What? No!" Hollypaw protested, "How am I supposed to find out who killed Patchpaw if I'm in there?"

"You won't. At least, not yet. A plan will be created soon, but right now you need rest," Raccoonclaw said dismissively, "Now _go_."

"No! I don't want to rest and I don't want to wait for you and the others to make some stupid plan! My brother is dead! And no one's even trying to figure out what happened to him! His murderer is walking around somewhere, probably patting himself on the fucking back, thinking that he got away with it! And he will unless—"

Just as Hollypaw was beginning to cry, she felt a set of arms wrap around her and lift her off the ground. Instantly, she went ballistic and started kicking with all her might, wanting to get free of whoever was holding her up.

"I'll take her to her nest, Brightsky and Frostpaw are using the whole hut right now," a smooth voice said.

Recognizing the voice instantly, Hollypaw felt her emotions completely flood over her. Grief and a need for justice for Patchpaw, and anger and resentment towards Crowpaw. She screeched as she struggled more, "Crowpaw, put me down, you son of a—"

"Tsk, save your energy," Crowpaw said calmly, beginning to walk away from Raccoonclaw with Hollypaw squirming in his arms.

"Make sure she sleeps," Raccoonclaw told him. All he got in response was a hum of acknowledgment, which was barely audible over Hollypaw's loud protesting as she was carried away.

Apparently, Hollypaw's weight and fussing had little effect on Crowpaw's speed, because he walked at a brisk pace, which was unusual for the typically slow-moving male. Even as she screamed, elbowed, and swung her legs, the boy carrying her didn't seem to mind as he continued onwards.

All Hollypaw's shouting and struggling was cut short when she was abruptly dropped out of Crowpaw's hold, and she found herself crumpling into her nest. She slowly realized where she was as she felt soft feathers and pine needles beneath her. With her chest heaving from all her efforts to escape Crowpaw, she stood up and prepared to run out of the apprentices' hut, hoping to still be able to catch the HeartClan patrol.

Crowpaw immediately caught her by her shoulders, "And where are you going?"

Hollypaw glared up at him, meeting his red eyes with her own icy-blue orbs, "I'm going to find my brother's murderer!"

"How are you going to do that? You're one girl, and no one has any idea as to who killed Patchpaw, aside from the killer possibly being a rogue. For all we know, you could end up dead, too," Crowpaw stated coolly.

"So what?" Hollypaw challenged, trying not to see the reason of the teen's statement.

"So," Crowpaw said, "You need to think about this with some sense. And you're clearly not capable of that. Look at yourself; you've got a red face, tears falling from your eyes, and snot running down your lip. If anything, you should do as you're told and get some rest."

Hearing Crowpaw's description of her had made Hollypaw realize that she was, in fact, crying. Her breaths were coming out in choppy sniffles, and she'd sobbed as she spoke. A feeling of utter helplessness came over her. At this point, she couldn't bring herself to care that it was Crowpaw of all nekos who was watching her, and she broke down in a pitiful bawling, sniveling mess.

 _'Patchpaw, Patchpaw, Patchpaw, Patchpaw,'_ was all she could think as she wept. If she had her sense about her, she would have slapped herself for crying so openly. She would have rebuked herself for acting so weak and pathetic, especially in front of the boy she hated. Who knows how he'd use this moment against her. He could blackmail her, tease her, and hold it over her head until the day she died.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she was unexpectedly pulled into an embrace, freezing in place. A hand stroked the back of her head in a slow, comforting manner.

"Calm down, there, there," Crowpaw said softly, "Crying won't do you any good. Besides, you're ruining your pretty face."

"W-what?" Hollypaw asked, trying to twist out of Crowpaw's arms in order to look at him. Her actions were met with a gentle squeeze from the older apprentice.

"We'll find out who killed Patchpaw, I promise you that," Crowpaw vowed, something that Hollypaw would have never thought that the boy was capable of. After all, Crowpaw had never looked or acted very trustworthy or honest.

Suddenly, Hollypaw's bottom met her nest once more, and she recognized the fact that Crowpaw had been gradually urging her to the floor. No longer crying, but with her cheeks still wet, she pushed at Crowpaw's shoulders. She still didn't want to sleep as she'd been told.

She whimpered as she pushed at him, and Crowpaw only responding by continuing his actions. As he silently encouraged her to lie down, he said, "I'm not leaving until you fall asleep. But I'll wake you for the vigil."

"I don't want to sleep," Hollypaw protested, despite feeling the weight of her decreased energy. Fainting, along with the stress of her loss and crying, had managed to tire her out.

"You don't have a choice," Crowpaw told her. As he said this, he reached over and brushed Hollypaw's hair from in front of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Now sleep."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Woah, this chapter was longer than I intended! But I guess you guys are happy about that, aren't you? After all, a lot happened here!**

 **Fun-Fact: Rowanpaw is the son of one of HeartClan's head-males, Flamepelt.**

 **Stay tuned for a lot more, and tell me what your thoughts are about the story so far! Seriously, every review keeps me motivated, and I love reading what you guys think, as well as suggestions for the story! So don't be shy and pound that review button!**

 **Also, be sure to vote on my poll. I try to change it every few weeks!**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


	12. Nine: And Onward

"And so, we lay this young soul to rest," Brightsky said, his head bowed respectfully to the newly-filled grave before him. Once he'd finished, Frostpaw moved to stand from where she'd been crouching by the grave, having been pressing two fingers to the ground while her mentor spoke. Hollypaw noticed that the older girl's face was glistening in the light of the sunrise, where twin lines of wetness had made their way down her cheeks.

Frostpaw wasn't alone in her show of tears, of course. Hollypaw's own face felt the chill of the morning breeze as it met the hot tears that had been flowing down freely. It wasn't like she could help crying, and she honestly didn't care to at the moment. To her right, Darkcloud wept shamelessly, her face in her hands and her shoulders shaking violently. On her left, Sandpaw stood completely still, an unreadable expression on his face. But despite his lack of showing it, Hollypaw knew that he felt the same as her. They'd lost their brother, and the pain of that knowledge was unbearable.

Crowpaw had kept his word, having woken Hollypaw when it came time for the vigil. Despite feeling worn out and tired, Hollypaw had wasted no time in jumping to her feet and hurrying out to join in. She remembered being surprised by how peaceful her brother looked. Brightsky and Frostpaw had done a good job of making it look as if Patchpaw was simply asleep, going as far as placing him in his favored sleeping position. He'd been dressed in the skin of a small doe, made in a masculine fashion out of respect for his identity. A few sprigs of lavender had been braided into his light-colored hair, and Hollypaw detected the scent of rosemary and watermint along with the soothing smell of the purple plants.

Patchpaw's serene appearance was almost enough to distract Hollypaw from seeing the bruises that painted the boy's flesh. But as she knelt beside him in the moonlight, she couldn't ignore the evidence of the violence that her poor brother had endured. It seemed that the others around Patchpaw's body had the same predicament. Sandpaw had chosen to sit beside the boy's legs after taking one look at their brother's neck, and Darkcloud kept her head pressed to her hands as she gripped her kit's right arm. Hawkglare, in spite of all his distancing from Patchpaw, had joined his remaining family in mourning, quietly hovering over the body of his kit, his head bowed and eyes closed.

Perhaps the most notable thing about Patchpaw's vigil was Ripplespot. In spite of the obvious issues that they'd been having, it was clear that Ripplespot wasn't taking his partner's death very well at all. Hollypaw had watched as Ripplespot had gently caressed Patchpaw's cheeks, weaved his fingers through the boy's hair, and spoke to him in a soft voice. Even with Ripplespot speaking so quietly and his head being bowed over Patchpaw's, Hollypaw was close enough to hear a good amount of what he'd been saying.

" _I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. Oh StarClan, why did I leave you alone? I'm so sorry."_

" _I'm gonna find out who did this to you, I promise. He isn't gonna get away."_

" _Look at you…don't worry…no one can hurt you now. No one, baby."_

Those words were the ones that Hollypaw was able to make out clearly, out of all the rambling that Ripplespot had done. Despite what he said, Hollypaw couldn't help but feel some anger towards him. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if her brother would still be alive if Ripplespot followed him instead of leaving Patchpaw in the forest. Even now, as she watched him stare at her brother's grave, she silently interrogated him. Why did he have to leave Patchpaw alone? How could he have let an argument lead to this? He was supposed to have loved Patchpaw, right? Then why…

As if he sensed Hollypaw's attention, Ripplespot looked up at her. His eyes were red from the tears he'd shed, and he had a worn look to him, as if he'd aged by five years in just one night. But Hollypaw couldn't find herself feeling much sympathy for that emotion-ravaged soldier. She was too busy glaring at him, trying to figure out just why he'd let such terrible things happen to her brother.

After looking over the body, Brightsky had confirmed that Patchpaw was strangled to death. Hollypaw couldn't imagine just how much suffering her littermate had endured with such an end, and she'd been completely horrified when she learned that that wasn't the only thing that Patchpaw had been forced to undergo. There was a reason for why her brother had been found bare of any coverings. Hollypaw had felt as if she might just vomit after learning just what that reason was, and her heart had ached as she realized that her brother had gone to StarClan with his innocence stolen. Patchpaw had told her that he wasn't planning to mate with Ripplespot until he became a soldier, so it was undeniable that his murderer had delivered one more insult by taking his maidenhead.

Hollypaw felt the fur of her tail stand on end as her anger towards Ripplespot increased. The young man seemed to grow tired of maintaining eye-contact with her, looking away as their clanmates began to disperse from around the grave. Meanwhile, Hollypaw's gaze was only torn from the soldier when she felt her brother's hand rest on her shoulder, and heard him speak in a calm voice.

"Come on," Sandpaw said, "We're going back now."

In spite of herself, Hollypaw decided to hold her tongue and allowed her littermate to guide her back into camp.

* * *

None too soon after Hollypaw had been set to work by Lavenderbreeze, she was approached by Crowpaw. The older apprentice had calmly sauntered over to her as she was assisting Cherrystep with some weaving, with Hollypaw only noticing him once he was standing over her. When she did realize that he was there, Hollypaw felt a rush of impatience, not wanting to put up with him so soon after burying her littermate.

She gave him a look with narrowed eyes and twitched her tail as she questioned, "What do _you_ want?"

As if he hadn't even heard her, Crowpaw gave no acknowledgement to the question. Instead, he simply plopped down beside the two females, effectively catching them both off-guard. Cherrystep jumped back a bit, looking turning her wide eyes to Hollypaw, and then back to Crowpaw. The woman was obviously confused, and Hollypaw couldn't deny feeling the same. There was something off about Crowpaw's behavior.

With her confusion turning into irritation, Hollypaw asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

"This is for one of Willowpelt's kits, right? Get more moss, those two are used to it," Crowpaw commented, completely ignoring Hollypaw's question again.

Hollypaw's tail twitched again as her irritation grew, and she was about to snap at him, feeling that he had no right to order either of them around. Before she could, Cherrystep jumped up with a nervous smile on her face and said, "That's right! I completely forgot; Willowpelt does put a lot of moss in their nests, doesn't she? Don't worry, I'll get some more!"

With that, Cherrystep hurried away, turning only for a few heartbeats to give Hollypaw an apologetic glance. Hollypaw watched as the woman abandoned her, blinking in surprise. Once she fully processed what happened, Hollypaw turned and glared at Crowpaw.

"What's with you, scaring nekos away like that? And why are you here?" she hissed, promising herself that she'd slap him if he ignored her again.

Crowpaw didn't give an immediate reply. He was quiet for a moment before saying, "So you aren't ignoring me anymore, huh?"

Hollypaw's eyes widened upon hearing his words. She'd been completely caught off-guard, realizing that he was right as soon as he'd said it. With the death of her sibling, Hollypaw had forgotten all about ignoring the male. Her shock wore off quickly, however, and she immediately said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Yeah, and you're not mooning after Freckleshine anymore, aren't you?" she quipped.

Her words didn't seem to affect Crowpaw as much as his had affected her. His eyes widened for a second, but the look was gone so quickly that Hollypaw wasn't sure if what she'd actually seen it. He chuckled lightly and looked at her with a slight smirk, "As if I'd moon over that annoying woman."

"Wh-wha?" Hollypaw stuttered, blinking in confusion. Her reaction seemed to amuse Crowpaw, as he chuckled again before losing the smirk on his face, his expression becoming serious.

"Yesterday," he began, "You talked to Rowanpaw, right? What'd he tell you?"

Hollypaw blinked, not recalling what the boy was talking about for a moment. After a heartbeat or so, the memory of what Rowanpaw had said to her popped back into her head. Her icy eyes narrowed, and she turned away slightly, not sure as to why she should relay the words to Crowpaw. After all, she didn't want to take the chance of Crowpaw stopping her from meeting Rowanpaw, knowing very well that he didn't like the HeartClan apprentice.

"It doesn't have anything to do with you," Hollypaw replied snippily.

Crowpaw clicked his tongue, "Tsk, really? That sounds pretty suspicious. I wonder what the Heads would say if they knew that there was something going on between you and a HeartClanner."

With those words, Crowpaw began to stand, as if he was preparing to head over his leaders right then. Hollypaw watched him, trying to decide whether the older teen was being serious or not, which was pretty hard considering the fact that Crowpaw was so impossible to read. She wanted to believe that he was messing with her as usual, but part of her felt that he might actually go to the leaders. If he did actually go, then Crowpaw would be ruining her chances of getting information at her brother's murderer.

Realizing this, Hollypaw threw her hand out, latching onto Crowpaw's wrist, causing him to stop in his tracks. In a casual, almost smug way, Crowpaw turned and looked at her, his eyes hard and waiting. Just making eye-contact with him made Hollypaw realize that Crowpaw had been completely serious after all. It also made the floodgates of anger open, causing Hollypaw to grow heated at the knowledge that Crowpaw was practically blackmailing her.

"Fine," she said, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of her tone, "I'll tell you, okay? Just promise that you won't say anything to anyone."

A satisfied smirk found its way to Crowpaw's lips, which Hollypaw couldn't help but view as a show of arrogance. Turning fully towards her, Crowpaw sat right back down and said, "Of course."

That wasn't enough in Hollypaw's mind, and she gave him a hard look while holding out her hand. In a very serious tone, she told him, "Press-swear it."

With a chuckle, Crowpaw asked, "Isn't this kind of thing for kits?"

"Just do it," Hollypaw snapped, ignoring the flush of embarrassment that came to her cheeks as she acknowledged that this was a childish move.

Still chuckling, Crowpaw held out his own hand, pressing the pads of his fingers to hers. Somewhere in her mind, Hollypaw noticed that he was pushing her fingertips back slightly, although it didn't seem like he was pushing very hard at all. She looked him in the eye and asked him, "Will you tell?"

Crowpaw offered another press as he replied, "Wouldn't dream of it."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N: Omg, I actually did it! I finished a chapter in just two days! This must be what they call evolution!**

 **Fun-Fact:** **Out of all the characters that have been created, Crowpaw is the hardest to write, since his character is more complex than others.**

 **Seriously though, I am so sorry for the immense hiatus that I've taken, and I can only hope that you guys will forgive me. I had this chapter ready** _ **way**_ **earlier, but then I accidentally deleted it while cleaning up my files. o(** **╥_╥** **)o**

 **Any hoo~, I'm hoping to actually get off my procrastinating butt and get some real work done! Right now, this story is about to really pick-up, and I'm super excited about that. Especially with the arrival of two new characters coming soon!**

" _ **Origin"**_ **will hopefully be updated very soon. I'm going to start working on the new chapter as soon as this one is posted, so keep on the look-out for that! I also update the Drama Story a while ago, and I need new questions for the next chapter, so please head over there and help me out!**

 **Guys, just a reminder, I really do like reviews and they're a big part of my motivation to continue these stories. I love getting feedback from you all, and it really lets me know that you're into what I'm writing. So please do give me a review, even if it's to mention something that you didn't like or wish would happen, because every single one keeps me working hard on these new chapters. With that said, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. You guys are the reason that these stories have gotten where they are, and I really owe you a lot of gratitude. Once again, thanks!**

 **Later, my lovelies~!**

 **\- Tina**


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